In an effort to encourage the presidential candidates to pay attention to national park issues, the National Parks Conservation Association has launched its own candidate, Teddy Mather, a bear named for national parks champion President Teddy Roosevelt, and Stephen Mather, first director of the National Park Service.

Rocky Mountain National Park officials have decided to use a variety of adaptive management tools, including "lethal reduction" and birth control, to manage elk inside their park. The plan could take effect as soon as January.

This month's roll-out of holiday ornaments from around the national park system spurred one reader to ask where he could buy some of the ornaments.