Can the National Park Service more fully embrace the "precautionary principle," the concept that it err on the side of "science-informed prudence and restraint," as suggested by Revisiting Leopold: Resource Stewardship in the National Parks?

The Civil War threw the federal government into a measure of chaos, as the country was divided and the focus was winning the war. How did the Interior Department function during this time? A new book from Eastern National recounts the department's history during those trying years.

Hunters looking for elk in Grand Teton National Park on Thanksgiving Day wound up killing a grizzly bear they said suddenly charged them. The incident prompted calls for the park to bring a halt to the annual elk hunts, but the fact remains more bears are killed by motorists than hunters in the park.

National parks are a great place to experience wildlife in their natural element, and to photograph them. But at times the plight of nature can generate pangs of helplessness, as nature photographer Deby Dixon realized in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.