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Visitor Restrictions Implemented To Protect Glacier Bay National Park's Birds

One of the most incredible birding spots in the National Park System is Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Cruise up the bay and enter its side bays and you'll be astonished by the many species of seabirds. For the rest of the summer, the park staff has instituted some restrictions so you don't disturb them during nesting season.

Essay: Revisiting Mountains Without Handrails

Forty years ago, I read Mountains Without Handrails: Reflections on the National Parks by Joseph L. Sax, a law professor and astute observer and student of America’s National Park System. I knew few national parks then and wondered what such a provocative title might mean. Now, after 40 years of exploring and studying the parks, I reread Sax’s book to see if his reflections back then might be relevant today. I think they are.

Black-Footed Ferrets, An Endangered Species Since 1967, Still Struggling

One of the most endangered species in the western United States, if not the entire country, is the black-footed ferret. In fact, it was listed as an endangered species in 1967, six years before the Endangered Species Act was passed by Congress. Today, more than 50 years on, this cousin to the weasel continues to struggle, and the U.S. Forest Service appears to be making things worse.