New Gun Law for the United States of America

Congratulations to the citizens of the United States of America! March 1, 2010, marks the day when you are permitted to carry your handguns, shotguns, and rifles, into American national parks - depending on the sate you are in of course. This new federal law does not speak for every state; it is up to the individual state to determine what it will permit regarding firearms. Consider if the national park you are visiting lies between the boundaries of two different states. Again, depending on the individual state, you may or may not, be permitted to carry your firearm. If you are alone and stumble across a Grizzly bear in your travels, ensure to flash them your double barrelled shot gun - that will certainly scare them away! Keep in mind that although it may be legal to carry your firearm, it remains illegal to fire a weapon or kill an animal.

Consider the level of safety and security in today's society. An estimated 3,600 major crimes including 5 homicides and 37 rapes were reported in American national parks in 2008. As Roosevelt stated during his opening speech at Yellowstone national park, the world's first national park, the park was created "for the benefit and enjoyment of the people". Does that speech. Does that speech still apply to today's society? National parks are supposed to be a sanctuary for people that want to get away from life's daily hustle and bustle, worries, and work, and simply want to enjoy nature's beauty. Now, when you take your family for a Sunday picnic, you not only have to be watchful of wildlife and mosquitoes, but now shotguns as well! Children are growing up thinking that it is okay to carry firearms with them literally everywhere they go.

Because of this new law, there are no relaxing sanctuary's for people to escape to and let their worries disappear. "Visitors are going to go to national parks with an increased amount of suspicions, weariness and concern", said Bill Wade, president of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. Wade continued to say that the "new law will erase the park system's reputation as a place of solitude and safety.

Don't get me wrong, I fully support gun owners and their desire to practice their sport. As an avid target shooter myself, I jump at every chance I get to practice; however, I would never carry a firearm into a national park and cause havoc and unnerve everyone around me simply because I am a target shooter and I want the whole world to know. I do not understand the reasoning behind this new law, it still remains illegal to fire your weapon or hunt; therefore, I cannot justify bringing a rifle into a national park.

Congratulations again governor's of the United States of America. You are well on your way to ruining national parks.

For more details, visit: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/18/AR2010021805124.html

Protecting British Columbia's Flathead Valley

"A unique community of carnivore species resides in the Transboundary flathead region that appears unmatched in North America for its variety, completeness, use of bottomlands, and density of species that are rare elsewhere." Dr John Weaver

British Columbia's Flathead Valley provides not only beautiful scenery and postcard perfect pictures, but also a home for many diverse animal species, mainly grizzly bears. As one of the only untouched, undeveloped wilderness areas left; the Flathead Valley is the birth place of many varieties of flowers, roaming grounds for animals, as well as a key connecting point for animals moving north and south. The Flathead Valley also provides some of the purest, fresh water flowing through waterfalls and rivers, containing over 300 aquatic insects, 10 species of native fish, and 12 species of introduced fish.

"Despite the biological productivity of the area it is the most threatened portion of the Yellowstone to Yukon landscape. The biological functionality of the landscape is threatened by human actions ranging from recreation, resource extraction and probable major expansion of the Highway 3. Currently this landscape provides large mammals with the opportunity to move between the south side of Highway 3 and the north. This maintains what we believe... is a large, connected population unit. This unit includes animals from Glacier National Park and southward. To the northern in Canada,m there is gene flow with animals in Wateron Park and the rest of the Canadian Rockies west and northward. This connectivity means that large mammal populations are the more resilient to changing environmental conditions because they have more habitat and genetic diversity to draw on in times of stress." Dr. Stephen Herreo

British Columbia's Flathead Valley is a beautiful sanctuary for both humans and wildlife. Just a month ago this land was threatened by the desire for ineffective land use and selfish humans that believe mining comes before national history and homes for wildlife.

On February 9, 2010 The province of British Columbia announced a ban on all mining, oil, and gas development in the Flathead Valley. I believe the Flathead Valley offers everything and more than a protected National Park. It has been saved, although not yet protected with the label of a National Park. Future generations will be thankful for these grounds, and by turning the Flathead Valley into a National Park will help preserve this sanctuary for many years to come. Saving the Flathead Valley from mining corporations is a step in the right direction. I believe that with the persistence of British Columbians, the Flathead Valley will be added to Canada's 42 National Parks.

Canada's Newest: Mealy Mountains National Park

Welcome, Canada'a newest, and largest Atlantic national park! The Mealy Mountains National Park is located in Newfoundland and Labradour, and is 11,000 square kilometers! Newfoundland offers Canada a vast variety of culture, scenary, and wildlife, and the Mealy Mountains National Park captures it all. Providing locals and tourists the opportunity to wittness threatened woodland, caribou herd, moose, black bear, ospery, bald eagles, and a threatened population of harlequin ducks, this newly renound National Park is an asset to Canada.

National Parks are meant to be protected and presserved. The parks are a haven for the endangered species and thousands of different trees and plants. However, in this case, the locals within the region are permitted to continue to cut wood for personal use, hunt, trap and fish; although no new developments will be approved within these protected grounds.

I strongly support heritage, personal values, and maintaining a healthy, independant lifestyle; but allowing people to continue about their regular ways in a protected ground does not make sense to me. Why would the government label these grounds as a National Park while still allowing people to hunt, trap, and fish, considering the number of endangered species that lay within these boundaries? National parks, fish, animals, trees, etc, are all considered natural resources. In most cases, natural resources are overconsumed as they are non excludable. To me, Mealy Mountains National Park will not be a National Park, until the grounds are completely protected, and hunting is banned.

To learn more about Canada's newest National Park, go to:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVnews/20100205/national_park_100206/20100206?hub=Canada

Road Trip!

This past summer my boyfriend and I decided to take a quick road trip to visit his brother in Red Deer, Alberta. We let on a Friday evening after work and figured we would be able to drive straight through to Calgary, and I would be ready to shop first thing Saturday morning! My step dad suggested we take our time and enjoy the scenery instead of rushing and saving shopping for another time. I am SO happy we took his advice and spent the night in Jasper at the Astoria Hotel.

We left Saturday morning and continued on our drive to Calgary. I kept bugging him to stop at the ice fields so we could get a picture, since I hadn't been there since I was a baby, and he had never been. The lady at the toll booth told us they were only about an hour away, well, it took us over 2 hours to drive 100km. I had forgotten how beautiful Canada really is, and make him stop at every single rest spot, scenic point, and pull off, along the highway so I could take a couple 'quick' pictures. I wanted to ensure we both had the chance to witness some of Canada's best scenery and remember it.

We drove alongside the emerald coloured lakes, snowy mountaintops, and literally hundreds of tourists until we reached Banff. Matt made sure to ask me if I wanted to stop anywhere and take dozens more pictures while we were here. Unfortunately, I declined. I didn't want to lose any valuable shopping time, and besides, we would drive through Banff once again on our way back home, we could stop then.

After a fun weekend of shopping, visiting with family, and lots of pictures we began the drive back home. I was so tired that I slept through the entire drive home. Matt offered to stop in Banff once again so we could check out the famous National Park that everyone always talks about, but I just wanted to get home and see my dog and fall asleep. Once we got home I immediately regretted my decision.

A coworker of Matt's wanted us to stop and take pictures for him since he had never left Kamloops before, and I was in too much of a rush to shop and sleep to stop and enjoy one of Canada's finest offerings. Too many of us take these things for granted, expecting everything to remain in tact until we find time in our hectic schedules to go back and enjoy the scenery. Reality is, these parks won't be here forever. The Canadian government has spared this land for now, but do you really think it will be around for our future generations to enjoy just as it is today? We must begin to work together to preserve this land, and stop taking it for granted. Make sure you stop to smell the roses! And take pictures while you're at it :)