Top Tips for Seeing Yellowstone!

This Wednesday I'all be presenting at noon at the Washington State Department of Ecology on my top tips for seeing Yellowstone National Park. I hope to see you there.

Congress should Fix our National Parks

My op-ed calling upon Congress to fund and retire the maintenance backlog is running in the Covington Reporter. National Parks face a $10 billion backlog which means trails don't always get repaired, potholes are left unfilled, and campgrounds aren't always opened. 

Some of called the national park's America's best idea. We as Americans should demand that Congress treat them as the precious gift they are.

Covington Calls On Congress to Fund the Parks

Covington City Council Passes Proclamation Asking

Congress to Support National Parks

 

Statement recognizes the economic impact visitors have on the local economy

 

Covington, WA — The Covington City Council is the first in Washington State to recognize the national parks with a proclamation recognizing the cultural, educational, recreational, and economic benefits they provide and asking Congress to provide dedicated funding to fix our parks.   

“As we celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the National Park Service, we should give rangers the resources they need to protect our parks for the next 100 years,” said Covington Mayor Pro Tem and former National Park Ranger Sean Smith. 

In light of a history of congressional underfunding, the proclamation calls on members of Congress to create a reliable and predictable stream of resources to help the National Park Service (NPS) address deferred maintenance at its more than 400 sites across the country.  It is estimated that the current backlog of overdue park repairs—include crumbling roads, rotting historic buildings, eroding trails, outdated public buildings, and safety hazards such as deteriorating water and electrical systems—totals $12 billion nationwide and over $500 million in Washington state, including $285 million at Mount Rainer National Park.

Fixing our parks will help support an important economic engine for our state. NPS reports that during 2015, here in Washington, park visitors spent an estimated $470 million in local gateway communities like Covington while visiting NPS sites, helping to support 6,400 jobs and providing our state an economic boost of $631.7 million in economic output.

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

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Why I Write Thrillers

In my day job I work for the Washington State Department of Ecology on the safe management,
transport, and disposal of hazardous wastes.  One of the largest solid waste trade groups is the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Organizations (ASTSWMO).

Recently, ASTSWMO interviewed me about my life outside of work. The link below is to the ASTSWMO summer newsletter and includes my interview on why I write national park thrillers.

Check out the interview here. Scroll down to the bottom of the newsletter.

Thanks ASTSWMO for interviewing me for the newsletter!


Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers

My Favorite Parks: Mountain West

Here is a listing of my favorite parks in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah. What are your favorites?




Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
 

Craters of the Moon, Idaho

Glacier National Park, Montana

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Arches National Park, Utah

 

Sean Smith is a former Yellowstone Ranger, and an award winning conservationist, TEDx speaker, and author. He writes national park thrillers from his home in the shadow of Mount Rainier National Park. To learn more about his thrillers click here or follow him on twitter: @parkthrillers