This week’s National Parks & Public Lands News Roundup covers the impending federal government shutdown and its affect on National Parks, an expansion of coal mining on federal lands, the re-opening of the north rim of the Grand Canyon, vandalism at Gettysburg, and more.

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00:00 Introduction 01:48 Impact of Government Shutdown on National Parks 02:37 State Responses and Historical Context 03:30 Concerns and Appeals from Park Officials 05:44 Sponsor Message: Slinky Stove 06:22 Grand Canyon North Rim Reopening 08:18 Vandalism at Gettysburg National Military Park 09:01 White Nose Syndrome Detected in Bats 10:02 Federal Land Coal Leasing Announcement 10:26 National Park Service Concessionaire Opportunities 11:41 Conclusion

This week’s National Parks & Public Lands News Roundup covers some big and controversial stories: Reports that slavery- and racism-related exhibits are being removed from multiple National Park Service sites following a new Interior Department directive. A proposal to create “Florida Springs National Park” is facing growing opposition. The Interior Department’s plan to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s Public Lands Rule. The launch of a brand-new U.S. Wildland Fire Service to modernize wildfire response. A major water system failure at Mount Rainier’s Paradise Inn. A tragic fatality at Grand Canyon National Park. Zion National Park reopening its Weeping Rock Trail. And finally… why Yellowstone’s geysers have coughed up more than 300 hats (plus some bizarre bonus items).

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00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:46 Controversial Removal of Slavery Exhibits 03:37 Debate Over Florida Springs National Park 06:36 Changes at the Bureau of Land Management 08:17 New US Wildland Fire Service 09:16 Mount Rainier Water System Failure 10:11 Grand Canyon Incident 10:58 Zion National Park Reopens Weeping Rock Trail 11:44 Yellowstone's Lost and Found 12:59 Conclusion and Farewell

At the edge of Utah and Colorado, where canyons plunge and rivers carve through stone, lies Dinosaur National Monument — a place known today for Jurassic fossils and wild rivers. But hidden within its history is the story of a woman who lived on the frontier with grit, resilience, and ties to some of the West’s most notorious outlaws.

This episode of Parkography explores the life of Josie Bassett Morris — rancher, homesteader, friend (and sometimes lover) of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch — who carved out a life of independence in one of the harshest landscapes of the American West. From her outlaw entanglements in Brown’s Park to her rugged cabin at Cub Creek, Josie’s story is one of resilience, hardship, and defiance.

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Law enforcement rangers cleared an illegal cannabis grow in Sequoia National Park, where they found thousands of plants, toxic chemicals, and major environmental damage. A new national park could be coming to Florida—legislation has been introduced to study the creation of “Florida Springs National Park.” Workers at Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon have voted overwhelmingly to unionize, joining a growing movement across the Park Service. Plus: new hunting and fishing opportunities at wildlife refuges, the Maurice Bathhouse restoration at Hot Springs, a fruitless year at Capitol Reef’s orchards, and more. The NPS report, via National Parks Traveler: https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/sites/default/files/attachments/nps_staffing_impact_data_july_2025_-_copy.xlsx

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Everyone knows about America’s 13 original colonies… but did you know there was almost a 14th?

In 1775, a private land deal known as The Transylvania Purchase sought to create a brand-new colony in the rugged mountains where Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee meet. Frontiersman Daniel Boone carved the Wilderness Road through the Cumberland Gap, opening America’s first true gateway to the West. But the plan was tangled in conflict with Indigenous nations, colonial governments, and the Revolution itself.

In this episode of Parkography, Jason explores the rise and fall of the Colony of Transylvania, the battles that defined it, and how the Cumberland Gap went from a dangerous frontier to a National Historical Park that tells the story of America’s earliest westward expansion.

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A ranger stabbed in a Colorado state park, hundreds exposed to rabies at Grand Teton, Isle Royale wolf put down, plus updates on hurricane closures, statue restoration, peak renaming, and more national park news.

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00:00 Introduction 00:07 Colorado Park Ranger Stabbing Incident 00:59 Rabies Exposure at Jackson Lake Lodge 02:24 Rabid Raccoon at Delaware Water Gap 03:01 Wolf Issues at Isle Royal National Park 04:38 Sponsored by Slinky Stove 05:15 Restoration of Albert Pike Statue 06:12 Mount Woodring Name Change 08:01 Hurricane Erin Impact on East Coast Parks 09:20 Reopening of Black Canyon of the Gunnison 10:30 Grand Canyon Fire Update 10:50 Yosemite Ranger Fired Over Trans Pride Flag 12:27 Conclusion

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt and naturalist John Muir embarked on a legendary three-day camping trip through Yosemite. Away from politics and public life, they huddled under the stars, explored the towering sequoias, and shared a vision that would change the future of America’s wild places.

This unforgettable meeting is often credited with sparking the modern conservation movement—leading to the expansion of national parks and permanent protection for some of our most treasured landscapes.

Join us as we retrace their journey, uncover the stories behind their conversations, and explore how a few nights in the wilderness helped shape the course of American environmental history.

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At Petrified Forest National Park, a strange phenomenon has persisted for decades: people from all over the world mailing back pieces of petrified wood they stole—along with heartfelt apology notes. These “conscience letters” speak of bad luck, misfortune, and regret. But is the so-called curse real, or just a product of guilt?

In this episode of Parkography, we explore the fascinating history behind the curse of the Petrified Forest and the power of a national park to stir the conscience.

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