Yellowstone National Park, among the nation’s most popular tourist sites, has been closed during the pandemic. Now officials face unique challenges as they consider reopening the park for the summer season. A quick reopening could help local businesses that have suffered during the closure, but maintaining social distancing and other safe practices will be difficult when hordes of visitors arrive. Listen to hear local people and a park visitor discuss the benefits and risks of reopening one of the nation’s busiest national parks.
Story Length: 5:38
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June 26, 2019
3:13
Can taking a photo of yourself be dangerous? There has been a recent rise in selfie-related deaths. Many visitors to national and state parks are putting themselves in dangerous situations to get the perfect photo, and some have even lost their lives in the process. Listen to learn about why people risk their lives for selfies and what some organizations are doing to stop this troubling trend.
Read MoreApril 16, 2019
3:16
The Grand Canyon National Park recently celebrated its 100th birthday. A park ranger there created a “pop-up project,” placing an old typewriter on an overlook more than six miles into the canyon and inviting people to write notes reflecting on the moment. Listen to learn what inspired the project and hear some of the writing that hikers left behind.
Read MoreNovember 6, 2018
3:46
Traffic, usually considered an urban problem, has been an issue at Yosemite National Park for a long time. While the park is sometimes shut down to all traffic because of forest fires, when it reopens, hundreds of cars come back to enjoy the majestic natural beauty of the park. Figuring out a solution to this problem has become even more important recently with an increase in bear deaths in the park. Listen to hear about how traffic jams in this popular national park are affecting the wildlife there as well as visitors’ experiences.
Read MoreDecember 13, 2017
2:47
President Obama established the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah in 2016, which is sacred to Native Americans and dense with ancient artifacts. Now, President Trump has dramatically reduced the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Monuments. There is debate whether the vast amount of land protected under the federal government hurts or helps the communities that surround the monument, including local ranchers and Native Americans. Listen to learn how the park reductions will affect different groups and spark a legal battle.
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