Twelve California Condors Go To Grand Canyon Area

November 21, 2001 (NPS): Twelve California Condors will be transported to a new home on public land on Arizona's Vermilion Cliffs, near the Grand Canyon, on November 27, 2001. Eleven of the condors hatched this year at The Peregrine Fund's breeding facility in Boise, the other is a female that hatched in 1999 and was brought back into captivity on April 11, 2000 due to her interaction with humans. Biologists have been observing this condor in captivity for over a year and a half and now feel that she is ready to be re-released.

The condors will be transported from Boise, Idaho to Page, Arizona on a U.S. Forest Service fire plane being provided by the Bureau of Land Management. From Marble Canyon they will be taken to the specially designed release aviary on top of the Vermilion Cliffs. Release is expected in early 2002, after the condors have acclimated to their new surroundings. This release will increase the population of California Condors in the Grand Canyon area from 25 to 37.

"There are now 12 condors in Arizona that are old enough to pair up," stated Dr. William A. Burnham, President of The Peregrine Fund. "Since an egg was laid by a pair last year, we feel that we are on the brink of condors breeding in the wild. Once this occurs, it would be the first condor reproduced in the wild since 1986 and would be further confirmation that the recovery effort is on track," finished Burnham.

The historic Arizona release is a joint project between The Peregrine Fund, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Arizona Game and Fish Department, National Park Service (NPS), CORE (Coalition of Resources and Economies), and numerous other partners. The Peregrine Fund, a non-profit conservation organization headquartered in Boise, Idaho, is largely funding and conducting the release; BLM and NPS are managing the habitat; USFWS is responsible for the overall recovery of the species; and the Arizona Game and Fish Department is responsible for all wildlife in Arizona. Regular updates from the field are being provided by biologists on The Peregrine Fund's home page (http://www.peregrinefund.org).

California Condors are being released in Arizona as a "nonessential experimental population" under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. This experimental designation allows for condor reintroduction in the area without impacting current or future land uses or planning (except on National Park Service land where they are protected as a threatened species). This authority has been described further in an innovative implementation agreement between the Service and local governments. This "Implementation Agreement" describes, a positive working relationship between the Federal government and various local governments.

The Service is presently conducting a formal review of the California Condor reintroduction program in Arizona, now in its fifth year. "We've enjoyed meeting with local citizens and officials and Federal land managers to better understand their concerns regarding management of the condors and how the program may be affecting their communities," said Jeff Humphrey, the Service's Condor Reintroduction Coordinator. Input from the conservation and scientific communities has also been solicited. "We are anxious to receive input from a variety of perspectives so that we can refine our recovery efforts and strengthen public acceptance of the condor recovery effort."

There are currently 183 California Condors in the world, 57 in the wild in California and Arizona and 126 in captive breeding facilities (World Center for Birds of Prey, Zoological Society of San Diego, and Los Angeles Zoo).

Kate Cannon Named Deputy Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park

November 6, 2001 (NPS): Kate Cannon, 47, a 22-year veteran of the federal service, has been selected as Deputy Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, Superintendent Joe Alston announced today.

"I am pleased to welcome Kate to Grand Canyon; she clearly possesses the management, operational and planning skills needed to take on the responsibilities of Deputy Superintendent at this large, complex park," said Alston. "I've had the opportunity to work with her in Alaska and at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, " he continued "... and very much look forward to working with her as a key member of our park management team."

Kate Cannon comes to Grand Canyon National Park from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southern Utah where she has served as Monument Manager and Associate Monument Manager since 1997. From 1990 to 1997 she served as Superintendent of Jewel Cave National Park in South Dakota.

Previous to these assignments, she worked for the National Park Service in the positions of Concessions Management Specialist at Glen Canyon Recreation Area (1985-1990), Resource Management Specialist at Northwest Alaska Areas (1984-1985), Concessions Management Assistant in the Alaska Regional Office (1982-1984), and as a Park Ranger at Yukon-Charley National Preserve, AK, Canyonlands National Park, UT, Isle Royale National Park, MI, and North Cascades National Park, WA.

Prior to beginning her career with the National Park Service, Kate taught science to Junior High School students in Omaha, NE. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resource Management and a Secondary School Teaching Certificate from the University of Nebraska. As Deputy Superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, Kate will be responsible for managing the park operation - from utility infrastructure to educational programs - and for working closely with Superintendent Alston on major park issues and projects.

Grand Canyon National Park encompasses 1.2 million acres, several ecosystems, and thousands of cultural and historic sites. The park is staffed by approximately 400 National Park Service employees and has a budget of $18 million. Kate will move to Grand Canyon in December with husband Ross, retired from the National Park Service and a private pilot, and daughters Mary and Zhanna.

Grand Canyon National Park Invites Public to Visit During Veterans Day Weekend for Unity, Hope and Healing

November 5, 2001 (NPS): Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced that all entrance fees to national park areas will be waived during Veterans Day weekend, November 10, 11 and 12, 2001, to encourage Americans to seek solace and inspiration in the nation's parks, monuments and memorials.

"After the September 11 terrorist attacks, many people visited parks, because these special places offer hope and encouragement - qualities needed to help the nation heal from the recent assaults on innocent Americans and unify our efforts to rebound and find justice," said Secretary Norton. "During this Veterans Day weekend, we invite all Americans to visit their parks in the spirit of unity, hope and healing. As Americans visit these special places, I urge them to do so with pride and in honor of those men and women who fought for the freedoms we value and enjoy today. Let us also remember our active military and those unsung heroes - the firefighters, police officers, medical workers and countless other Americans - who are serving the Nation valiantly in this time of crisis."

"Americans draw strength from our nation's cultural icons of freedom and tranquility from our great natural wonders," National Park Service Director Fran Mainella said. "On Veterans Day weekend, all national parks - and many partners in state and local parks across the country - will waive park entrance fees. Let these treasures serve as reminders of what it means to be an American and that our trials as well as our triumphs serve to make this nation grow stronger, and endure and prosper."

Grand Canyon National Park was established on February 26, 1919 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a Congressional Act establishing the Grand Canyon National Park. The park was designated a World Heritage Site on October 24, 1979. The park focuses on the world-famous Grand Canyon of the Colorado River that encompasses 277 miles of river and 1,217,403.3 acres with adjacent uplands, from the southern terminus of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area to the eastern boundary of Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The forces of erosion have exposed an immense variety of formations that illustrate vast periods of geological history.

"The Grand Canyon is a place of inspiration for those who see it. This is an appropriate time for Americans to come to Grand Canyon National Park to reflect on the past tragedies and to honor our nation's veterans," stated Joseph Alston, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent.

The National Park Service, an Interior Department agency, is composed of more than 20,000 rangers, archaeologists, historians, biologists, architects, laborers, gardeners and other professionals who care for the special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

There are 385 national parks covering more than 84 million acres in every state (except Delaware), the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

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