© Lauren Himiak

The National Park Service has announced several operational changes to the backcountry permitting system and placing a moratorium on the number of commercial use authorizations issued for guided backpacking services in Grand Canyon National Park.

In order to camp anywhere in the park, a permit must be obtained from the Backcountry Information Center by writing in or asking in person. Grand Canyon National Park will now consider only written requests during the fourth-month-out starting February 1, 2010.

Written requests may be submitted by fax, letter or in person. Requests will be considered based on the date on which they are received, and all requests received by 5:00 p.m. on the first day of the fourth-month-out will be placed in random order by computer and considered in that new order before the next day's requests receive consideration.

More information is available online or via email. You may also call the Backcountry Information Center at 928-638-7875.

© minds-eye via Flickr

The National Park Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will break ground on a new bridge along the Tamiami Trail, just north of Everglades National Park on December 4. And you're invited!

The Tamiami Trail has been stopping water from flowing into the park resulting in the parka decrease in water supply and the decline of the park's bird and wildlife habitat. Twenty years in the making, a one-mile bridge will allow more water to flow south into the park, improving conditions for wildlife.

The event begins at 1 p.m. at the S-356 structure on Tamiami Trail/US 41 in Miami-Dade County. You may RSVP to the National Park Conservation Association online or by calling 305-546-6689.

The National Park Service is inviting the public to a series of four open houses that are part of the General Management Plan process for the African Burial Ground National Monument. Once complete, the GMP will guide how this downtown Manhattan site will educate and inspire people around the world.

The open houses will be held in Harlem, Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan and the public can explore, discuss, and comment on the preliminary alternatives for the site:

Monday, November 30: 2 p.m. -7 p.m.
Brooklyn College Student Center, 2nd Floor Campus Road at East 27th Street Brooklyn, NY

Tuesday, December 1: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Ted Weiss Federal Building 290 Broadway, 7th Floor, Lower Manhattan

Wednesday, December 2: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Schomburg Center For Research in Black Culture 515 Malcolm X Blvd (Lenox Ave)

Thursday, December 3: 2 p.m. - 7 p.m.
House of the Lord Church 415 Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

For more information about the African Burial Ground National Monument, call 212-637-2019.

© L.Brumm Photography via Flickr

Big news for Grand Canyon National Park. Officials are proposing to make the park one of at least 50 in the country that attempts to counter and respond to global climate change.

The park is examining how to recycle more, use less energy and water, and cut its greenhouse gas emissions. Kathryn Parker, the climate change coordinator at the park, also said Grand Canyon hopes to become a hub for teaching the public about climate change.

So why the big changes? Grand Canyon National Park has a larger greenhouse gas footprint than most others largely due to its electricity use. Besides supplying electricity to historic structures, drinking water is pumped from Roaring Springs on the northern wall of the Grand Canyon, down to the bottom of the canyon, and up to the South Rim and Grand Canyon Village along Bright Angel Trail. One possible solution would add a hydroelectric means of power generation.

Grand Canyon is taking a big leap and other parks are sure to follow. Learn more about how parks are trying to be more climate friendly.