rust never sleeps...

Anacapa Island shut down suddenly and mysteriously...
after a new PR puff piece about the Channel Islands fox "recovery" (the fox was never endangered!) is published, NPS shuts down Anacapa Island due to rust problems!! per Yvonne Menard, Chief of Interpretation & Public Information Officer, Channel Islands National Park, (805) 658-5725..ie spinmeister!! "Anacapa Island is closed to the public until further notice due to a safety hazard. The corrosion of a frame support on the island staircase has unfortunately necessitated this closure.
This staircase provides the only access to the 200-foot-high cliffs of this volcanic island... (what about helicopters?) An inspection conducted on Thursday, June 10, 2010, uncovered the worsening condition of the staircase structure and a determination to close the island was made. This occurred at a time when no visitors (witnesses!) were on the island."
the Parks Service notified Island Packers, the outfit the ferries tourists back and forth from the mainland that the island was closed...very quick and suspicious if you ask me..what I think happened is they are covering up or hiding an eco problem related to the restoration..maybe the murrelets got eaten by bald eagles or some dead foxes or something...
NPS
NPSAGAIN
at least they are finally admitting that the golden eagles are back and the bald eagles are eating foxes, too!! so they blamed the pigs and golden eagles because they were non native...they said the golden eagle would not return since the pigs were killed..of course they were wrong because golden eagles don't give a rat's ass whether these stupid biologists label them native or non native..they FLY where the wind carries them, they love water and island habitat and they eat what is available, even cute inbred foxes!
Subsequently, in May two island foxes succumbed to eagle predation on the west end of Santa Cruz Island following sightings of golden eagles in the area. These are the first fox kills in association with golden eagle sightings in over a year on this island.
"The rapid recovery of island foxes may be one of the most successful recoveries of an endangered species to date," said Dr. Lotus Vermeer, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Santa Cruz Island Preserve. Dr. Lotus Vermeer??!! look out Bond!!!

"We measure fox recovery by looking at the overall populations and are excited by the progress we are seeing," said Russell Galipeau, Superintendent of Channel Islands National Park. "The continued predation by golden eagles is unfortunate and is being monitored closely."
An unusual incident occurred in late May in the bald eagle nest at Pelican Harbor on Santa Cruz Island when bald eagle webcam viewers observed one of the adults bringing an island fox carcass into the nest. It is not known whether the adult bald eagles preyed upon this fox or whether they recovered a dead fox carcass. Bald eagles are known to primarily feed on fish, seabirds, and marine mammal carcasses and it is not their natural tendency to prey on terrestrial mammals...... duh, the bald eagle killed the fox, as predicted!! just be honest and admit you screwed up!! and anyone who thinks the sight of golden eagles being predators is "unfortunate" is not fit to lead the Parks Service!! RESIGN GALIPEAU!!
now, when the NPS and the Nature Conspiracy start to float an idea to the public saying it will be necessary to shoot golden eagles, I hope you will not sit by and allow it to happened! I know I won't!!