COMING AND GOING

No Walk in the Park

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PRIORITIES

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No Walk in the Park

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Planning to visit a U.S. national park this summer? You'll likely find fewer park rangers available to respond to emergencies, fewer law enforcement officials patrolling, and fewer rangers giving interpretive walks and answering questions, according to the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees. The reason: staff cuts necessitated by inadequate budgets.

In a detailed study of 37 of the nation's parks, the nonprofit coalition "found almost without exception that parks are operating well below the established standards for service and for resource and visitor protection ," said Bill Supernaugh, a former superintendent of Badlands National Park in South Dakota.

Moreover, most parks are suffering from the cumulative effect of years of inadequate budgets, according to a report released by the group last week.

"We've been doing more with less for so many years that now we're having to do less with less ," said coalition member Rick Smith. "The parks have a huge backlog of maintenance projects , and as we cut back on preventive maintenance, the backlog grows."

"Certainly these are challenging times, but we expect our visitors to have a wonderful time in the parks this summer," said National Park Service spokesman David Barna.

The last Park Service official who complained about budget woes to the press -- U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers -- was fired in December 2003 for doing so.

To see the report: http://www.npsretirees.org.

TOURS WE LIKE

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Same Old Same Old?

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CoGo has culled, from the hundreds of trip suggestions that cross the Travel desk each month, those that seem particularly alluring:

· Study whales with experts in Newfoundland for a week in July while watching caribou, seals and birds. Cost: $2,549, including airfare, lodging and some meals. Details: 800-567-6666, http://www.maxximvacations.com/ .

· Follow the Flamenco Route in Spain. A five-day itinerary that brings you each evening to a new venue with free entertainment. Details: http://www.andalusia.org/flamenco .

· Get in a cage and dive with great white sharks off Mexico's Guadeloupe Island. A five-day trip, including accommodations, food and drink, is $2,550. Details: 888-405-3268, http://www.sharkdiver.com/ .