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Missing From the System? Fort Monroe, Preserving Civil War History

There are many areas across the country -- both wondrous landscapes and rich pockets of American history -- that arguably would be strong candidates for inclusion in the National Park System. Fort Monroe, a Civil War-era fort in suburban Virginia, is one such candidate, as this story explains.

Creature Feature: The Marbled Murrelet is a Flagship Species in the Old-Growth Forest Preservation Movement.

Logging in the old-growth forests of the North Pacific Coast is being blamed for the sharp decline of the marbled murrelet population. More logging restrictions are needed to save the little seabird, and that is causing quite a stir.

Republicans Chafing At "Prospective" List of Western Landscapes Obama Administration Could Protect

Mindful no doubt of President Clinton's surprise creation of the 1.9-million Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument back in 1996, Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee are chafing over a tentative list of Western landscapes the Obama administration is reviewing for possible protection through use of the Antiquities Act.
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Environmental Groups Ask Feds to Require Reduced Pollution from Four Corners Power Plant

The effects of coal-fired power plants in the Four Corners area on national parks and residents of the region have been a point of contention between environmental groups and power companies for years. A coalition of groups has now asked federal agencies to require measures to reduce pollution from the Four Corners Power Plant.

Hikes Abound in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Both Short and Long

If national parks have their specialties, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a hiker’s park. The scenery is diverse: mountain views, old-growth trees, waterfalls, streams, and more shades of green than a paint chart. Trails are well-marked, wide, and easy to follow. Comfortable backcountry campsites and spacious front-country campgrounds make the park an excellent first-time, family camping destination.

Entrance Fees Generate Hundreds of Millions of Dollars A Year for National Park Service

Millions of times a year someone drives up to the entrance station at a national park, hands the attendant some money, and heads off into the park. Did you ever stop to think how much money the National Park Service takes in every year from these exchanges? Not just millions of dollars, but hundreds of millions of dollars.

Interior Department Wants Transparency, FOIA Process Impedes That Goal

Interior Department officials launched an intriguing web portal the other day, one touted as promoting transparency in government operations. Well, one place Interior officials could create a whole lot of transparency is by adding more staff to handle Freedom of Information Act requests, which currently move at a glacial pace.