PARK HEADLINES
December 22, 2000
THE IDITAROD SLED DOG RACE
If you have dreams of following in the footsteps of Buck from Jack London's Call of the Wild, here's your chance. The trail committee of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race is again auctioning off chances to ride with a musher for the first 11 miles of the annual Anchorage-to-Nome classic. The race, which usually lasts 9-10 days, begins on March 3rd in Anchorage. The Idita-Rider auction began on November 6th and closes on January 26th. To place a bid, check on the status of a bid, visit Iditarod 2001 or call 800-566-7533.
EVERGLADES RESTORATION ACT
On December 11th, President Clinton signed legislation that authorizes $1.4 billion as a first step in the 30-year, $7.8 billion restoration of Florida's Everglades. The massive undertaking, which has enjoyed bipartisan support, will begin with 10 construction projects and four pilot projects. The entire process will involve re-plumbing the system of canals and levees, cleaning polluted water, buying private lands to store water, and rebuilding the lost natural wetlands system. For further information on Everglades National Park legislation, see the Everglades Internet Initiative web site maintained by the University of Miami School of Law Library.
If you're interested in visiting Everglades National Park this winter, take a look at my travel planner.
BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK TO RECEIVE $1 MILLION FOR REEF DAMAGE
In November of 1996 a 464-foot German-owned tanker crushed part of a coral reef in South Florida's Biscayne National Park. Last week, in the largest settlement ever reached under the Park System Resources Protection Act, it was determined that the park would receive $1 million in damages. The money will be used to help restore the area. The Park System Resources Protection Act authorizes the recovery of costs associated with damage to national park service resources.
For further information on coral reef management, see:
National Caves Association. maintains a directory of caves and caverns throughout the United States. If you're interested in learning about a membership organization that is concerned with the scientific study, conservation and exploration of caves, contact the National Speleological Society.
DID YOU KNOW?
Catoctin Mountain Park in central Maryland, which sits astride the Blue Ridge system of the Appalachian Mountains in central Maryland. is the home of Camp David. Beginning in 1935, the Catoctin Recreational Demonstration Area was under construction by both the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. Originally planned to provide recreational camps for federal employees, one of the camps eventually became the home of the Presidential retreat, Camp David. The Presidential retreat is not open or accessible to the public, but the forest of Catoctin Mountain Park has many other attractions for visitors including camping, picnicking, fishing, 25 miles of hiking trails, and scenic mountain vistas.
NATIONAL PARKS PASS PHOTO CONTEST
The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation (with Kodak), are sponsoring a photo contest to select the image that will be used on the 2002 National Parks Pass. Any photo taken by an amateur photographer in a national park since January 1, 2000 is eligible. Entries must be received by March 15, 2001, and winners will be notified by mail after May 10, 2001. The Grand Prize winner will receive a four-day trip for four to any U.S. National Park, as well as a Kodak camera, film, bag, and a personalized National Parks Pass.
First introduced in April of 2000 during National Park Week, the National Parks Pass was authorized by Congress as an annual pass that sells for $50. It allows the purchaser and his or her vehicle occupants unlimited entrance into national parks that charge a per vehicle entrance fee.
The photo contest rules and an entry form are available online through the National Park Foundation or by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to National Parks Pass Photo Contest Rules, Post Office Box 5220, Young America, MN 55558.
THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE
On December 12th, President Clinton lit the National Christmas Tree, a 40-foot Colorado Blue Spruce that was transplanted from York, Pennsylvania in 1978. The lighting ceremony kicks off the three-week Pageant of Peace. The history of the National Christmas Tree is steeped in symbolism, from wartime blackouts to the 1973 District Court of Appeals ruling that prevented the displaying of the nativity scene. Read the full story.
