NPS Establishes National SAR Academy

The National Park Service has founded a National Search and Rescue Academy (NSARA) to provide comprehensive, standardized Servicewide training in basic search and rescue competencies.

NSARA will be based in Northern Arizona in order to take advantage of the challenging rescue environments available throughout the region. The first training offering, which will be a six-week-long course in California, will be this fall (see the Friday training calendar for particulars).

NSARA will offer a highly structured learning environment. Participants will have to be physically fit and will begin each training day with fitness training and an intensive safety briefing. Training will occur in the classroom setting as well as in various physically challenging technical outdoor environments. Personal preparedness, rescuer safety, and operational leadership principles will be emphasized throughout.

NSARA will provide participants with a venue to efficiently attain field rescuer skills in a single condensed format that would typically require numerous years to obtain, including essential field rescue skills in ground search operations, the incident command system, swiftwater rescue, technical rope rescue, search management, and basic aviation safety.

NSARA will directly lead to improved workplace safety for employees and enhanced SAR response capability for the agency. National Park Service visitors and employees will both directly benefit from this program.





Jeff
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America's Wilderness

Simply beautiful! A National Park Service salute to the 1964 Wilderness Act:




Jeff
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National Park Service Funds Trail Projects in 22 States

The National Park Service announced today that nearly one million dollars in trail grants will be awarded to 14 trails in 22 states and Washington DC.

The 2012 Connect Trails to Parks Awards will provide a total of $934,000 to 14 projects where national historic and scenic trails intersect with national parks and other federal facilities. The projects will restore or improve existing trails and trailhead connections, provide better wayside and interpretive services, encourage innovative educational services, support bridge and trailhead designs, and provide planning services for important trail gateways.

Many of the projects reflect National Park Service priorities such as expanding outreach, connecting to youth, enhancing urban recreation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and upgrading interpretive materials as outlined in the agency�s A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement. In addition to operating 397 parks across the United States and its territories, the National Park Service plays a vital role in overseeing the 52,000-mile National Trails System.

The Connect Trails to Parks program is designed to increase awareness, appreciation, and use of the nation�s federally-designated system of trails. The years from 2008 to 2018 have been declared "A Decade for the National Trails" ramping up to the trails system's 50th anniversary in 2018. Many of these projects will help specific trails and their related federal facilities to achieve goals associated with this commemorative decade.

One award of note for the Smoky Mountains region is the $64,200 grant for the "Implement Appalachian Trail Leave No Trace Initiative".

You can view all of the trail grants by clicking here.

I'll be honest, as I looked over some of these projects I couldn't help but think that this money could've been spent more wisely. $57,200 for a "Children�s TV Program About the Ice Age Trail". Are you serious? This is how we're spending our tax dollars? I don't know, what do you think?


Jeff
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Free Admission to All National Parks from January 14-16

The National Park Service announced yesterday that all 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Additionally, several parks will be holding special events to honor Dr. King over the three-day weekend.

The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012:

� National Park Week (April 21 to 29)

- Get Outdoors Day (June 9)

- National Public Lands Day (September 29)

- Veterans Day (November 10 to 12)

Please click here to read the entire national park press release.


Jeff
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NPS Introduces Online Water Safety Lessons

Heading to the water is a great way to beat the heat of summer. However, it is important to take precautions. Before hitting the beach, have the kids play two new National Park Service Junior Ranger WebRanger games to learn about rip currents and general water safety. They can be found at http://www.nps.gov/webrangers.

According to the Great Smoky Mountains website, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the park.

�Millions of people every year enjoy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating in national parks,� said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. �However, regardless of age, every person needs to be properly prepared around water. This point was reinforced last month at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. A seven-year old girl enjoying the waves on an air mattress was swept out into rough waters and flipped off the mattress. She survived only by staying calm and recalling instructions from a swim class she took last year. She floated on her back and tread water for 17 minutes until a rescue boat could reach her. Although exhausted, she was OK because she knew what to do in an emergency situation.�

The WebRanger activities present scientifically sound information but in a child-friendly manner. The water safety module includes information about appropriate floatation devices and swimming locations. The rip current activity teaches children how to identify and escape from this common shore hazard. Even the most seasoned swimmer cannot go against a rip current. It is important to stay calm and swim parallel to the beach until free of the current. If unable to swim out of it, remember that rip currents only travel about 50 yards before dwindling.

The games were developed by the country�s leading experts on water safety, including scientists and practitioners from the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Life Guarding Association.

"These interactive games are the result of an incredible collaboration between many groups interested in increasing awareness and saving lives,� Jarvis said. �We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors and we want everyone to go home safely.�


Jeff
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