While the final paperwork has been signed concerning an off-road management plan at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the arduous task of formalizing a rule means the seashore will continue to operate next summer under a consent decree.

Humpback whales are a big attraction for visitors to a number of NPS sites, and seeing a whale from a boat or the shoreline is a memorable experience. Now a non-profit group's website lets you hear the haunting songs of the humpbacks as they begin arriving in Hawaiian waters for their annual migration.

Plans to replace a defective bridge on the Congaree River call for rebuilding a causeway system crossing a flood plain in Congaree National Park. The plan's critics insist that modifications are needed to minimize environmental impacts and improve recreational access.

Despite two Government Accountability Office reports that say environmental regulations are not impeding the work of the Border Patrol, Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee are standing by that claim.