At the end of their very long days on the fire lines battling the Washburn Fire at Yosemite National Park, firefighters retreat to the fire camp where they can eat, sometimes shower, and rest for the next day. Understandably, with more than 1,000 firefighters at work, these camps can generate a great deal of waste. And that's where a recycling program undertaken by the U.S. Forest Service is making a big impact.

Though the Washburn Fire continues to burn and grow in size at Yosemite National Park, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias seems to have avoided the flames thanks to on-the-ground operations to protect the trees.

Some visitor access has returned to the Greenbrier area of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, where the first half-mile of the Greenbrier entrance road has reopened to motorists. Pedestrians and cyclists are allowed to use 2.5 miles of roadway beyond this point to the intersection with Ramsey Prong Road.

In the wake of the feet that go off trail and trample delicate vegetation at Mount Rainier National Park come the meadow restorers with their tools and native wildflower seeds.