Heritage tourism offered a way out of economic doldrums. Why did it go wrong?
National Park Service
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Alaska’s wolves and bears get new protections
New regulations help wildlife on federal lands. But they’re still no match for state predator control.
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Park Service may strengthen its oil and gas regulations
Current rules give the agency little leverage to protect lands or restore damage once drilling companies pull out.
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
The Latest: Park Service takes the reins at Valles Caldera
The failed experiment in privatized land management has come to an end.
Posted inOctober 26, 2015: Clean Energy's Dirty Secret
Will the Land and Water Conservation Fund rise again?
Congress derails the nation’s most successful public access and recreation program.
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Can studying morality help Yellowstone’s wolves and bison?
Sociologist Justin Farrell plumbs the spiritual depths of environmental struggle.
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Congress lets sun set on Land and Water Conservation Fund
The nation’s most successful conservation program is in jeopardy.
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Why Jim Unger came West: a Yellowstone love affair
There are tourists, and then there’s Jim Unger, a Pennsylvania resident who headed out this summer on his 41st pilgrimage to some of the places that have become his second home — the national parks, monuments and historic sites of the West. It all started in 1971, when Jim and his wife, Sandy, both elementary […]
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For Dinosaur National Monument’s 100th birthday, let’s protect more land
We launched our rafts on Colorado’s Yampa River at Deerlodge Park, and ran Little Joe and Big Joe Rapids. On the second afternoon, we pulled into Mathers Hole Camp under an overhung cliff wall that towered 500 feet above us. As I set up my tent, I thought about the 100th birthday of Dinosaur National […]
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Invasive crayfish in Oregon devastate native newts
At Crater Lake, the National Park Service is seeking solutions — but it could be too late.
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Abnormal weather linked to more recreation deaths
Summer is always high season for fatal outdoor accidents, but increased lightning and heat seem to make it worse.
Posted inAugust 31, 2015: Unlocking the Methane Mystery
Renewal through exploration in Greater Yellowstone
Review of ‘The Wild Excellence: Notes from Untamed America’ by Leslie Patten.
Posted inAugust 31, 2015: Unlocking the Methane Mystery
Where vandals target Western parks
A by-the-numbers look at the most graffitied national parks.
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How the Point Reyes oyster battles challenged our idea of wilderness
Review of a new book, ‘Oyster War’ by Summer Brennan.
Posted inJuly 20, 2015: Shredded
Deaths renew calls for national parks to rescind BASE jumping bans
Squirrel suited flyers say the bans actually contribute to deadly accidents.
Posted inJuly 20, 2015: Shredded
Public-lands visitation and recreation, by the numbers
Fatalities, backcountry trips, ATVs and Denali summit attempts over the years.
Posted inJuly 20, 2015: Shredded
Biking the line between wilderness and civilization
A bikepacking trip in Canyonlands offers a new look at a well-travelled landscape.
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Cliff-jumpers versus condors in SoCal
Can $5,000 fines and jail time protect an endangered species from thrill-seekers?
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Illegal flights persist despite national park drone ban
Early season drone reports are outpacing the number of incidents last year.
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National parks scramble to keep up with the crowds
Does Utah’s mega tourism campaign compromise the outdoor experience?