While the debt ceiling standoff in Congress has been resolved, committee work on appropriations bills for the federal government is reflecting efforts by Republicans to fund agencies at levels below those negotiators had agreed to with President Biden. For the National Park Service and other Interior Department bureaus, the cuts could result in funding levels ranging from "draconian to unrealistic."

A coalition of environmental groups, including the National Parks Conservation Association, has sued the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to enforce the Regional Haze Rule required by the Clean Air Act. That failure could lead to "continued release of preventable haze-causing emissions that harm the health of our communities and blur landscapes at our most scenic national parks and wilderness areas," the groups maintain.

As Juneteenth National Independence Day approaches, the National Park Service is marking this holiday at national parks across the Washington, D.C., area.

It’s 10 a.m. on a Saturday and the visitor center at Booker T. Washington National Monument is temporarily closed, albeit for an unusual reason. “The Park Ranger is down in the Historic Area taking care of the animals,” an apologetic sign explains. “They will return soon.”