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Financial woes of another state budget could result in more park closures. An Associated Press report in Business Week says funding proposed in Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal’s budget recommendations could prevent a new state park from opening as scheduled and force the closing of other parks.

"We’re going to have to make some tough decisions because we don’t want to thin the soup any more," Johnson said. "It will mean shutting down the parks that don’t have as high visitation so we have the resources to maintain those parks that have higher visitation."

Johnson said the cut would mean the state parks won’t be able to hire maintenance workers, rangers, workers for fee collection stations and other employees needed to run all the parks. Johnson said his office would look at park closures and more limited hours, but he said it was too early to say which parks would be shuttered.

Read the Buisness Week article: Parks chief: La. gov’s budget would force closures.

A capitol market

Mike Goad — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square,

Madison at Wisconsin State Capitol, 9-20-08

Gallery: Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square – Madison, Wisconsin, September 13 and 20, 2008, on the streets around the state capitol building

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State park closings – is Nevada next?

Mike Goad — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

In today’s hard economic times, closing state parks seems to be a remedy that many states have used or are considering. A Las Vegas Sun article says Nevada legislators are considering closing all of the state parks in Nevada.

The Nevada Legislature is thinking of closing state parks as it considers how to patch an estimated $900 million budget gap, a move that would save a few million dollars while killing the economies of rural towns and stunting tourism efforts across the state, opponents of the idea say.

Gov. Jim Gibbons has suggested a 10 percent budget reduction for a number of agencies, including the State Parks Division. But the Interim Finance Committee could take that a step further. At its meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday, the committee is expected to consider following the lead of cash-strapped states such as California and Arizona, that have closed some or all of their state parks.

In Nevada, the proposal is the brainchild of Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, who says he is considering shutting down all state parks to save money.

Read the entire article: Would closing state parks to save money do more harm than good?

Woolly family cabin

Mike Goad — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Woolly State Park, Arkansas, November 4, 2007

William Riley Woolly and his family migrated from Waynesboro, Tennessee in 1851, settling on land that came to be known as Woolly Hollow in Faulkner County, Arkansas. In 1882, a son, Martin Alfred Woolly, built a one room log home on land that he had homesteaded in 1859. Constructed of logs more than a foot thick and eighteen feet long, the cabin was originally located less than a mile southwest of the park. In 1975, it was moved to its present site and restored.

Information: Woolly Hollow State Park

Gallery: Woolly Hollow State Park

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Climate science woes in Newsweek

Mike Goad — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

A report in Newsweek, Iceberg Ahead, looks at the current state of climate science and politics… and how things got to this point.

What went wrong? Part of the blame lies, of course, with those who obstructed the efforts of the IPCC and the individual scientists, including bloggers who tried to sandbag scientists with spurious FOIA requests, and the perpetrators (as yet unknown) of the hack at the Climatic Research Unit. Part of the blame also falls on the climate scientists themselves. Many of them—including perhaps Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC head—may have stepped too far over the line from science to advocacy, undermining their own credibility. Some scientists, as a result, are now calling for a change in tone from antagonism to reconciliation. Climate science, they say, needs to open its books and be more tolerant of scrutiny from the outside. Its institutions—notably the IPCC—need to go about their business with greater transparency. "The circle-the-wagons mentality has backfired," says Judith Curry, head of Georgia Tech’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Confederate Flag flown on the CSS Alabama

Mike Goad — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

The Mariner’s Museum, Newport News, Virginia, May 10, 2009

Unable to build or buy enough warships to contest Northern control of the seas, the South purchased several fast cruisers in Britain and sent them out with orders to raid Union shipping. The most famous of these vessels was the Alabama, commanded by Raphael Semmes. Prowling the seas from the West Indies to the Indian Ocean, the Alabama captured 63 vessels in just 22 months.

The Alabama was caught by the Kearsarge at Cherbourg, France. Although his ship was worn out by many months at sea, Semmes chose to meet the Kearsarge in battle. The Alabama was sunk within two hours. Semmes and many of his crew were rescued by the English yacht Deerhound and escaped captivity.

Gallery: The Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, May 10, 2009

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Planned closings of New York state parks

Mike Goad — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 04:57:04 +0000

Press release from Governor Patterson and Commissioner Ash:

The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a recommended list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties.

Governor David A. Paterson issued the following statement:
"New York faces an historic fiscal crisis of unprecedented magnitude. It has demanded many difficult but necessary decisions to help ensure the fiscal integrity of our State. The unfortunate reality of closing an $8.2 billion deficit is that there is less money available for many worthy services and programs. In an environment when we have to cut funding to schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and social services, no area of State spending, including parks and historic sites, could be exempt from reductions. We cannot mortgage our State’s financial future through further gimmicks or avoidance behavior. Spending cuts, however difficult, are needed in order to put New York on the road to fiscal recovery. Going forward through the budget process, I look forward to a productive dialogue with the Legislature on parks and historic sites, as well as other issues."

OPRHP Commissioner Carol Ash issued the following statement:
"The 2010-11 Executive Budget included reductions to every area of State spending. As such, the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation has today put forward proposed closures and service reductions to meet its agency savings target. These actions were not recommended lightly, but they are necessary to address our State’s extraordinary fiscal difficulties."

###

A fact sheet on the proposed closures and service reductions is included below:
The Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) today put forward a list of closures and service reductions in order to achieve its proposed 2010-11 agency savings target and help address the State’s historic fiscal difficulties. As part of a comprehensive plan to close an $8.2 billion deficit, the 2010-11 Executive Budget included necessary cost reductions to each executive State agency, as well as cuts to education, health care, social services, and every other area of State spending.
OPRHP’s plan includes the closure of 41 parks and 14 historic sites, and service reductions at 23 parks and 1 historic site.
The plan also assumes $4 million in park and historic site fee increases that will be identified at a later date, and the use of $5 million in funds from the Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) to finance OPRHP operations. These two actions were part of the 21-day amendments to the Executive Budget and are intended to reduce the number of parks and historic sites subject to closures and service reductions.

Specific recommended closures and service reductions are detailed below:
Long Island

Brookhaven State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Bethpage State Park
Suffolk
Eliminate Winter Sports;
Reduce picnic area and polo field

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve
Suffolk
Close Park

Cold Spring Harbor State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Connetquot River State Park
Suffolk
Close Weekdays

Heckscher State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Jones Beach State Park
Nassau
Close West Swimming Pool;
Eliminate July 4th fireworks

Montauk Downs State Park
Suffolk
Close Swimming Pool

Nissequogue River State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Orient Beach State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

Trail View State Park
Suffolk
Close Park

New York City Region

Bayswater Point State Park
Queens
Close Park

Riverbank State Park
New York
Reduce Operating Hours;
Close Outdoor Swimming Pool;
Eliminate Seniors Classes;
and Community/Cultural Events

Palisades Region

Fort Montgomery Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Harriman SP– Anthony Wayne
Orange
Close Park Area

Harriman SP – Group Camps
Orange
Reduce Maintenance

High Tor State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Knox Headquarters Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

New Windsor Cantonment SHS
Orange
Close Historic Site

Schunnemunk State Park
Orange
Close Park

Stony Point State Historic Site
Orange
Close Historic Site

Tallman Mountain State Park
Rockland
Close Pool

Taconic Region

Donald J. Trump State Park
Westchester
Close Park

FDR (Roosevelt) State Park
Westchester
Reduce Swimming Pool Season

Hudson Highlands State Park
Putnam
Close Arden Point Area

James Baird State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Mills Norrie State Park
Dutchess
Reduce Golf Course Season

Olana State Historic Site
Columbia
Close 2 Days per Week

Philipse Manor Hall Historic Site
Westchester
Close Historic Site

Rockefeller State Park Preserve
Westchester
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic Outdoor Education Center
Putnam
Eliminate Interpretive Programs

Taconic State Park – Rudd Pond
Dutchess
Close Rudd Pond Area

Wonder Lake State Park
Putnam
Close Park

Saratoga-Capital Region

Bennington Battlefield State Park
Rensselaer
Close Historic Site

Hudson River Islands State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

John Boyd Thacher State Park
Albany
Close Park

John Brown Farm Historic Site
Essex
Close Historic Site

Johnson Hall State Historic Site
Fulton
Close Historic Site

Max V. Shaul State Park
Schoharie
Close Park

Schodack Island State Park
Rensselaer
Close Park

Schoharie Crossing Historic Site
Schoharie
Close Historic Site

Schuyler Mansion Historic Site
Albany
Close Historic Site

Central Region

Chittenango Falls State Park
Madison
Close Park

Clark Reservation State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Fort Ontario State Historic Site
Oswego
Close Historic Site

Helen McNitt State Park
Madison
Close Park

Herkimer Home Historic Site
Herkimer
Close Historic Site

Hunts Pond State Park
Chenango
Close Park

Oquaga Creek State Park
Broome
Close Park

Old Erie Canal State Park
Onondaga
Close Park

Oriskany Battlefield/Steuben SHS
Oneida
Close Historic Site

Pixley Falls State Park
Oneida
Close Park

Robert Riddell State Park
Delaware
Close Park

Selkirk Shores State Park
Oswego
Close Public Swimming Beach

Finger Lakes Region

Beechwood State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Bonavista State Park
Seneca
Close Park

Chimney Bluffs State Park
Wayne
Close Park

Newtown Battlefield State Park
Chemung
Close Park

Springbrook Greens State Park
Cayuga
Close Park

Two Rivers State Park
Tioga
Close Park

Buttermilk Falls State Park
Tompkins
Close Public Swimming Area

Seneca Lake State Park
Seneca
Close Lake Swimming Beach

Stony Brook State Park
Steuben
Close Public Swimming Area

Thousand Islands Region

Canoe Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Cedar Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Eel Weir State Park
St. Lawrence
Close Park

Keewaydin State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Macomb Reservation State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Mary Island State Park
Jefferson
Close Park

Point Au Roche State Park
Clinton
Close Park

Sackets Harbor State Historic Site
Jefferson
Close Historic Site

Genesee Region

Hamlin Beach State Park
Monroe
Close Swimming Beach 3 Days per Week

Oak Orchard State Marine Park
Orleans
Close Park

Regionwide
Multiple
Eliminate Camper Recreation Program

Niagara Region

Joseph Davis State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Knox Farm State Park
Erie
Close Park

Niagara Falls State Park
Niagara
Reduce Interpretive Programs

Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
Niagara
Close Park

Woodlawn Beach State Park
Erie
Close Park

Allegany Region

Allegany State Park
Cattaraugus
Close Quaker Area Swim Beach;
Close Quaker Cabins Area on December 1st;
Eliminate Winter Trails Maintenance;
Reduce Recreation Programs

Long Point State Park
Chautauqua
Close Park

Moraine Park Twilight

Mike Goad — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

The smoke, which enhanced the twilight in this photo of the mountains above Moraine Park and the people viewing elk, is actually from fires that were burning in California.

September 1, 2009

Rocky Mountain National Park

Gallery: Eastern slopes – September 1, 2009

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New York State Parks in Peril of Closing?

Mike Goad — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:39:36 +0000

A proposed $20 million New York state budget cut will likely result in closure of New York state parks. A Saratoga Springs Saratogian report says that state parks, already hit hard by previous cuts, are in peril from further cuts.

“Every region will be impacted. It’s not just small, fringe sites. Some of the largest parks might close because they’re the most expensive to operate — Jones Beach, Niagara Falls.”

Unfortunately, possible closings come at a time when people need parks most. Last year, statewide usage increased by2 million visits — from 54 million to 56 million — as residents sought inexpensive, close-to-home vacations. This year, Moreau Lake State Park’s campgrounds are already booked most weekends.

“When times are tough, people use state parks,” said Julie Stokes of Greenfield, former deputy state commissioner for operations. “The impact would be very large. A ton of people from Troy use Grafton Lakes. They bus kids out there. That park is absolutely jammed, seven days a week.”

Read more in the Saratogian: Proposed state budget imperils state parks

A Farm Museum

Mike Goad — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Mountain Farm Museum
May 6, 2009
near Cherokee, North Carolina

The Mountain Farm Museum is a unique collection of farm buildings assembled from locations throughout the park. Visitors can explore a log farmhouse, barn, apple house, springhouse, and a working blacksmith shop to get a sense of how families may have lived 100 years ago. Most of the structures were built in the late 19th century and were moved here in the 1950s. The Davis House offers a rare chance to view a log house built from chestnut wood before the chestnut blight decimated the American Chestnut in our forests during the 1930s and early 1940s. The museum is adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. – National Park Service website

Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
Tennessee and North Carolina

Gallery: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

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Peppers at the Market

Mike Goad — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Dane County Farmer’s Market on the Square
September 20, 2008

On the streets around the Wisconsin Capitol Building.

Gallery: Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square – Madison, Wisconsin,
September 13 and 20, 2008,
on the streets around the state capitol building

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Virginia Beach in the Spring

Mike Goad — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Virginia Beach Boardwalk *
May 10, 2009

*The Virginia Beach Boardwalk isn’t actually made out of boards at all. It’s a concrete walkway that is more than 3 miles long. Starting at 3rd Street and continuing along the ocean to around 39th street, the boardwalk offers everything from oceanfront restaurants like Waterman’s Grill, to everyone’s favorite pit stop, Dairy Queen. That’s not to mention the more than 40 hotels with oceanfront rooms.

The public access to the beach features running water stations which allow you to rinse off after your day in the sun. Quite convenient for those who love the sand, but would prefer to leave it at the beach. (Virginia Beach.com)

Gallery: Virginia Beach, May 10, 2009

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Dream Lake

Mike Goad — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Rocky Mountain National Park, September 3, 2009, about 11:40. We are on our way to Emerald Lake, about .6 miles on down the trail, past the end of Dream Lake.

Just after we get there, the battery in my camera dies, and neither of the Emerald Lake shots are worth keeping. The last good image was taken at 12:20.

Gallery: Bear Lake and Emerald Lake Trails – September 3, 2009

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