The Senate late yesterday confirmed Jonathan Jarvis, a former Mount Rainier National Park superintendent, to be the new director of the National Park Service.

“This is a great day for the National Park Service and for the American
public,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said in a press release. “Jon Jarvis is a career professional who has consistently stood up for protection of national parks. He brings great wisdom and three decades of experience to the job.”

Jarvis, a 30-year veteran of the National Park Service, has served since
2002 as regional director of the agency’s Pacific West Region, where he was responsible for 54 national parks in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands of Guam, Saipan and American Samoa, as well as a host of NPS community revitalization programs that serve those states.

"America's National Park System is a gift from past generations to this and succeeding generations. I look forward to working with Secretary Salazar, the Congress, our partners, and the extraordinary employees of the National Park Service as we prepare for the next century of stewardship and excellent visitor experiences," Jarvis said in the release.

Jarvis has served as superintendent of Mount Rainier, Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in Alaska. A trained biologist, he was also Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources at North Cascades National Park. Jarvis is currently the co-leader of the Children in Nature taskforce with the National Association of State Park Directors.

A native of Virginia, Jarvis has a B.S. in biology from the College of
William and Mary and completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program in 2001.

I've been talking to folks about the premiere of the upcoming Ken Burns documentary on national parks. I have been asking them which is their favorite park and what national parks mean to them in general.

Here are some comments from folks I interviewed at the Puyallup Fair Tuesday, as well as from Randy King, acting superintendent at Mount Rainier National Park.

If you would like to share your thoughts, you can go to the comment section or send them to me at jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com.

Favorite national park: Mount Rainier. There’s no more beautiful mountain in the world, and we’ve traveled to places around the world.
What national parks mean to you: Wilderness, peace and quiet. It’s almost reverential in the mountains. National parks should offer places where you can just be quiet. Beauty, every park is just beautiful.
Candy Tingstad, Lakewood

Favorite national park: Zion. It’s unparalleled beauty. I feel like, in some ways, that that part of the country hasn’t been touched by so many visitors. It’s amazing.
What national parks mean to you: It’s a respite, I think, from our daily lives.
Mary Watkins, Bremerton

Favorite park: Mount Rainier. But I’ve only been to one.
What national parks mean to you: Permanent opens space that will stay that way. If you look at the parks are set aside now, and how big they are, I don’t thik that you’d see that happen today.
Dan Tilley, Tacoma

Favorite park: The one I¹m in at the current time. I have never been in a park that wasn’t special. They are all special. I started at Yellowstone (National Park), and worked there on and off 13 years. That¹s where I started my career and my family. I call it my heart park.
What national parks mean to you: It obviously has been my life. Parks represent my avocation as well as advocation. They represent a tremendous heritage that we all share. As much as anything, it’s one of the ties that binds us a people. It connects us as people and our history. They’re irreplaceable. I can’t imagine life without them.
Randy King, acting superintendent Mount Rainier National Park

From North Cascades NP:

The Cascade River Road in North Cascades National Park will close to vehicular traffic at Hard Creek Bridge (MP 12.7) beginning on Sept. 1. The road will be open September 5-7 during the holiday weekend. The road will be closed again on September 8 through project completion in mid-October. Any cars left up-valley of the construction will not be able to exit Cascade River Road until the project is complete.

Foot or bicycle traffic may be allowed, but may encounter delays and must obey direction provided by construction crews to ensure their safety through the construction zone.

FHWA will be closing the road to accommodate bridge installation and permanent road repairs. The Cascade River Road provides access to Johannesburg Camp and the Cascade Pass Trail.

For additional information about the Cascade Pass Trail, call 360-854-7245 or visit http://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/cascade-pass-trail.htm

All overnight stays in the backcountry require a free permit, which must be obtained in person and is issued on a first come first served basis.

Here is a roundup of wildfires on national park land in Washington. The information comes from the National Park Service’s “Morning Report”:

North Cascades

About 646 acres are currently burning in the North Cascades National Park Complex. The largest fires being managed for resource benefit are: The Panther Creek Fire (220 acres), Elija Fire (353 acres), and the Brush Creek Fire (66 acres) in the Moon Complex. Fires being managed with suppression tactics include: The Cascade Fire (2 acres) in the Panther Complex near Ruby Mountain and the four fires in the Crapper Complex (2.7 acres total) near the Newhalem Creek.

Twelve fires, ranging in size from a single tree to 350 acres, have been burning in the North Cascades National Park Complex since late June. All 12fires were started by lightning. Five of these fires are being managed with suppression tactics to protect the public, and infrastructure in the area. The other seven fires are being managed for resource benefits.
Full containtainment is expected by Oct. 1

Olympic

Fire managers observed minimal fire activity when they flew over the Heatwave Complex fires on Tuesday. Five fires in the Heatwave Complex continue to creep and smolder. Constance fire (started July 11, 438 acres) still showing active smoke on Tuesday less than 5 percent of the perimeter is active. The 10 Mile fire (June 13, 492 acres) increased fire and smoke activity observed was observed Tuesday on the west side of the fire where it continues to burn downslope along the Duckabush River. Approximately 10 to 15 percent of the perimeter is active. Buckinghorse fire (July 29, 324 acres) is still showing active smoke. Approximately 1 percent of the perimeter is active. Knife Fire (July 29, 140 acres) is still showing active smoke, approximately 1 percent of the perimeter is active. Solduc fire (July 29, 4 acres), no visible smoke.

Seven additional fires remain inactive, all are 0.1 acres in size: Dose (July 11), Second Column, Five Ridge (July 28), Morganroth (July 29), Long (July 29), Wilder One (July 29) and Wilder Two.
Full containment is not expected until the end of the fire season

Mount Rainier

Two small fires on the report earlier this month were not listed in this morning's report.

The National Park Service just announced it has restricted open campfires in portions of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Effective today, campfires are banned in the following three campgrounds along the NPS-managed portion of Lake Chelan: Flick Creek, Weaver Point and Manly Wham.

This restriction means that no campfires are permitted until further notice. This includes using wood, briquettes, or any other fuel in the fire pits provided or in any kind of open fire pan or barbecue grill or other device, said a Park Service news release. Pressurized liquid gas camp stoves and enclosed solid fuel fire that utilize a wick to distribute a flame are allowed.

The closure parallels a widespread ban on campfires in the lower portion of Lake Chelan in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. In the remainder of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, North Cascades National Park, and Ross Lake National Recreation Area, open camp fires are permitted only in established fire pits in designated campsites as usual.

Open fires are not permitted in other areas at any time.

Visitors are urged to exercise great caution with all fire. Do not burn toilet paper. Discard cigarettes properly.

Families headed to North Cascades National Park Complex can let their children take part in a renewed Junior Ranger program.

The park complex has relaunched the free program with four new age-appropriate activity booklets.

The Junior Ranger program goals are for children to have fun in the park and to foster a lasting relationship with the North Cascades, said park superintendent Chip Jenkins.

“The free Junior Ranger program is a great way for families to explore the park together,” Jenkins said in a news release.

The Junior Ranger booklets introduce the unique natural and cultural history of the North Cascades, through a series of activities organized around a specific theme to build connections and knowledge of the park, the release said.

Each booklet also has a “totem animal” that helps guide kids and families through the activities and offers instruction, hints and ways they can explore the North Cascades. Activities are grouped by ages 3-5 (Pacific Tree Frog), 5-8 (Black Bear), 8-11 (Raven), and 12 and older (Mountain Goat).

Children can earn Junior Rangers badges, patches and certificates by completing at least six activities in the Junior Ranger booklet. The booklets are available at any of the six visitor information centers in
North Cascades National Park Complex.

From Mike Archbold's "Word on the Street" blog:

The state’s three national parks are receiving $200,000 in grants from Washington’s National Park Fund, the fund announced this week.

The grants to Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic national
parks come from another successful fund raising year by the fund. The fund is the official philanthropic partner for the state's three national parks and collaborates with them to obtain support
for priority projects.

=> Read more!

Folks in the Chelan area Thursday will be able to view two new buses before they are barged up Lake Chelan to Stehekin on Friday.

North Cascades National Park Complex
This is one of the four new buses that will carry visitors up and down the Stehekin Valley.

The vintage-looking buses are the first two of four new busses which are coming to Stehekin. Purchased by the National Park Service, they will be operated by the NPS concessionaire, Stehekin Landing Resort, to shuttle visitors along the Stehekin Valley to access trailheads, campgrounds and private businesses and to provide the popular tour to 312-foot Rainbow Falls.

The design of the buses was inspired by the early 20th century vehicles that once roamed the Stehekin Valley.

The buses can be seen from 11 a.m. to noon in the parking area adjacent to Chelan Airways and the Lake Chelan Boat Company between 1328 and 1418 W. Woodin Ave., Chelan.

This just in from the National Park Service. Free Park Entry June 20-21, July 18-19 and Aug. 15-16:

The National Park Service has announced three fee-free weekends this summer to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit these national treasures. At Mount Rainier and other national parks, all park entrance fees, including commercial tour entrance fees, will be waived on the following dates: June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009. These fee free weekends are in addition to the usual fee free days: National Public Lands Day, which falls on September 26 this year, and Veterans Day, November 11.

=> Read more!

Firefighting crews at North Cascades National Park Complex have already dealt with the first wildfire of the season.

The small fire in the Agnes Creek drainage near Stehekin was reported Wednesday morning and quickly extinguished by park crews. The human caused wildfire, named the Agnes Boundary Fire, was 100 feet by 25 feet and located just off the Agnes Creek Trail, which is also the Pacific Crest Trail, said a park news release.

Here is the rest of the release:

“The third of June is pretty early for fire season to begin,” explained North Cascades National Park Complex acting fire management officer Andris Vezis. “But, not surprising given the rapid increase in temperatures east of the Cascades over the past couple of weeks.”

Firefighters are continuing restoration efforts in the area through the week.

Stehekin is expected to be a hotspot for wildfire activity in 2009, according to the May National Wildland Significant Fire Potential Outlook released by the Predictive Services group at the National Interagency Fire Center.

The monthly outlook considers the condition of wildland fuels, weather forecasts, and climate and drought data. North-central Washington is expected to see above normal potential wildfire activity, based on persistent drought conditions.

“Overall, the areas with the greatest fire potential this summer are Arizona, New Mexico, California and north-central Washington,” said Rick Ochoa, fire weather program manager at the center. The June outlook continues to warn that “significant fire potential is forecast to be above normal through September in north-central Washington.”

To view the monthly assessments click here.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar this morning announced that the National Park Service will waive entrance fees for three summer weekends. The service hopes to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit one of 391 national park sites located across the country.

The 147 National Park Service sites across the country that charge fees for entry will waive those fees during the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and Aug. 15-16.

Meanwhile, many park partners including tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops and other vendors will offer additional discounts and special promotions on those dates.

Click here for more information on the fees and discounts.

According to the Web site, Olympic National Park is holding several promotions:

-- At Lake Crescent Lodge, Fairholme Store and Hurricane Ridge, park visitors can receive a free reusable eco-friendly shopping bag.

-- The park is offering free digital photos of your groups visiting the park. Staffers have chosen a scenic location where digital photos will be taken from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday of the fee free weekends.

-- At all Olympic Peninsula ARAMARK locations, visitors can get a free souvenir water bottle with retail purchase of $35 or more.

No specials were listed for Mount Rainier or North Cascades national parks.

“During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families,” Salazar said at a press conference at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, according to a news release

“National Parks also serve as powerful economic engines for local communities and we hope that promoting visitation will give a small shot in the arm to businesses in the area,” he said.

Nationwide, parks last year attracted more than 275 million recreation visits. Spending by non-local visitor provided $10.6 billion for local economies, supporting more than 213,000 jobs, not counting National Park Service jobs, according to the release.

The entrance fees being waived at the 147 sites that usually charge for admission range from $3 to $25. The 244 other parks do not charge entrance fees. The waiver does not include other fees collected in advance or by contractors – such as fees charged for camping, reservations, tours and use of concessions.

The North Cascades Highway, Highway 20, is expected to reopen today at 8 p.m., according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Crews have been able to take advantage of the warm weather that has sped the melting of snow to clear Rainy Pass (4,855 feet) at milepost 157.5 and Washington Pass (5,477 feet) at milepost 162.5.

Each winter, the state closes the highway on the west at milepost 134, east of Diablo, and on the east at milepost 170, 14 miles west of Mazama.

Opening of the highway allows drivers to again travel the Cascade Loop, a 400-mile driving tour through the Cascades.