Located less than 90 miles from Seattle, Washington’s sprawling North Cascades National Park Service Complex is a treasure trove of ecological diversity and a rugged wilderness playground for sightseers, hikers, climbers, and boaters.

When the Bush administration late in 2008 tried to auction energy leases near national parks in Utah, there was an outcry by many who considered siting oil and gas exploration projects next to parks was anathema. The Obama administration quickly reversed the decision, but the debate over whether to locate energy projects next to parks continues.

The written word is a marvelous thing, so much more so when it's used to describe a place. In the early part of the 21st century, those employed by the Government Printing Office had a stylish way to describe national parks. Perhaps not as eloquent as some of today's finer writers, but stylish just the same.

You're not normally allowed to take plants out of a national park, but come this Saturday you'll be able to walk away from Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area with some of the natives. But it's for a good cause.