Park Remarks: National park gateway town election results, no incumbent mayors elected

If I say it's been a relatively quiet few weeks in Utah's national parks, does that jinx us?

As the busy season slows down, Park Remarks will come to you every two weeks instead of every week, while still keeping you informed of the latest news in southern Utah's outdoors.

And as we reflect on this past summer, what is on your mind? What went well, what were some issues that came up for you, what do you want to continue or change next season? Email me or tweet me to let me know.

The biggest news these past weeks has been election results and the Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit in Kanab. You can find all of the details here:

For local stories that matter, subscribe today.

In the news:

First: No Zion National Park public shuttle system in Kane County, proposition fails in election

During Tuesday's election, residents of Kane County decided against an expansion of Zion National Park's electric shuttle system through Kanab and possibly to Utah's other national parks.

Second: EXCLUSIVE: Inside Zion National Park's first electric bus to park's east entrance

On our way to the ribbon cutting of the first 10 miles of mountain biking trail in the east Zion project, I got to ride on the first electric shuttle bus's first drive to Zion — a lot of firsts!

Third: Here's how you can now help decide what's next for Zion National Park conservation, tourism

At the Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit last week, Zion officials announced they're forming a new plan about how to manage the park's conservation and tourism, and have asked the public for input.

Fourth: Why the tourism boom at national parks is leaving local workers homeless

My story on homeless Springdale workers was published in Fortune, which we have co-published here as part of my Report for America dispatch.

Fifth: New study finds California condors can reproduce by asexual "virgin births"

California Condors, an endangered species in Zion, can reproduce asexually, a study found.

Sixth: Report: Campgrounds in Zion, Arches, Capitol Reef full for nearly all of the peak season

A report showed that campgrounds in Zion, Arches and Capitol Reef National PArks were full for nearly all of the peak season this year with the tourism boom.

Seventh: Bryce Canyon National Park, other Utah locations chosen for NASA telescope launch event

Bryce Canyon National Park was chosen for a launch event for an innovative NASA telescope on Saturday, Nov. 6.

Inbox:

Arches National Park held a "Service Saturday" on Oct. 23 where volunteers helped pick up trash. The park regularly holds these events, so check its Facebook accounts for the next one.

Zion has a new Artist-in-Residence: Colorado-based printmaker Jim Harris who will be at the park until Nov. 10.

Bryce Canyon National Park has entered winter season operations, with shuttles stopped and the Wall Street side of the Navajo Loop closed.

Bryce Canyon's annual Christmas Bird Count, the longest-running citizen bird census, has been announced as Dec. 18 at 8 a.m. My coverage from last year's bird count can be found on our website.

2020 bird count: Dozens gather, while socially distanced, to count birds in Bryce Canyon National Park

Chuck Sams, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation who has been nominated to be the next director of the National Park Service, was approved by the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and now heads to the full Senate for confirmation. If confirmed, he would be the first Indigenous person to lead the agency and its first director since Jan. 2017.

The Department of the Interior held listening sessions the past two weeks to understand how to advance racial equity and support underserved communities, they said, while trying to understand what barriers exist for diverse people and how the agency can remove them.

A 290-million-year-old skeleton was found in Canyonlands National Park, and though it is rare, it has not yet been identified.

At Hurricane's Sand Hollow, a new RV resort and theme park Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resort is under construction.

The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation is offering free workshops on outdoor recreation amenities funding throughout Utah and in gateway towns: Nov. 16 in Moab, Nov. 17 in Bryce Canyon City and Nov. 18 in St. George.

Dispatches from the Kanab Summit

PBS Utah held the first screening of their Zion documentary entitled "Call of the Canyon" at the Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit last week, which features Zion officials like Superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh and charity Zion Forever Executive Director Lyman Hafen, who was present at the screening. The documentary will premiere in winter or spring 2022.

The nonprofit Outdoor Recreation Roundtable also presented the new "Outdoor Recreation Roundtable Rural Economic Development Toolkit" at the Summit, which aims to help gateway towns balance tourism and community.

Finally, St. George Outdoors won the Every Kid Outdoors Award and Colorado River Takeout Facilities Improvement in Grand County won the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant Project of the Year at the conference.

Social media:

Arches posted that the permits for the Fiery Furnace hike are increasing in price starting on Nov. 10 and can be obtained up to seven days in advance at Recreation.gov.

Bryce Canyon is celebrating National Native American Heritage Month with several posts about the indigenous owners of the land, the Southern Paiute people.

As the seasons change, so does the wildlife! Canyonlands National Park posted about the darkling beetle, which is especially active in the fall and may sound ominous but is non-threatening to humans.

Capitol Reef National Park has built a deer exclusion fence around the perimeter of the Cook Orchard in an ongoing effort to rehabilitate the park's historic orchards.

More on orchards: Capitol Reef National Park orchards need rehab. Here's the plan, and why

Zion posted hilarious ranger recreations of iconic art pieces for the park's digital art show, "Zion: A Legacy of Art," which runs through Nov. 6.

Town meetings:

The preliminary municipal election mayoral results for Utah national park gateway towns are as follows:

• Springdale Mayor: Barbara Bruno with 57.77% of the vote and a 16 vote lead.

• Moab Mayor: Joette Langianese with 53.2% of the vote and a 94 vote lead.

• Torrey Mayor: Mickey Wright with 56.57% of the vote and a 23 vote lead.

• Bryce Canyon City did not hold a mayoral election, according to the Garfield County Clerk's website.

Weather forecast:

According to the National Weather Service, Arches and Canyonlands should be in the low-70s this weekend and clear. Capitol Reef should be in the low-60s and partly cloudy. Bryce Canyon should be in the high-50s with nighttime temperatures reaching near freezing. Zion should be in the high-70s and low-80s and mostly clear.

K. Sophie Will is the National Parks Reporter for The Spectrum & Daily News through the Report for America initiative by The GroundTruth Project. Follow her on Twitter at @ksophiewill or email her at kswill@thespectrum.com. Donate to Report for America to support her work here.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Park Remarks: Utah national park gateway town election results