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Four Billion Dollars from the Land and Water Conservation Fund is a Good Start, but the National Park Service Needs More

The Land and Water Conservation Fund was signed into law on September 3, 1964, took effect on January 1, 1965, and has since provided $4 billion to buy national park land and easements. That’s not nearly enough. The National Park Service’s acquisitions backlog has grown to $1.9 billion, and it’s getting bigger every year.

Have High Gas Prices Deterred Travel within Theodore Roosevelt National Park?

High gas prices are causing many motorists to travel less and choose destinations closer to home. Do motorists who visit national parks also drive less inside the parks? Visitor data from North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park suggest that this might be happening.

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial You See Over There By the Tidal Basin Is Not the Original

The impressive Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial situated near the Tidal Basin is not the original FDR Memorial. The first Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial was a simple plaque installed near the National Archives on the 20th anniversary of FDR's death. It was a humble memorial, and that’s just what FDR wanted

Plague Kills Many Prairie Dogs and Black-Footed Ferrets in Grasslands Near Badlands National Park

Scientists fear that sylvatic plague may decimate the black-footed ferret population of Badlands National Park. The deadly disease began killing prairie dogs and ferrets in the Conata Basin area of nearby Buffalo Gap National Grasslands last spring. Now an aggressive spray-and-vaccinate campaign is the last line of defense for the remaining ferrets.

Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historical Site Commemorates a Great Achievement in Early Transportation

The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historical Site is located in southwestern Pennsylvania about 12 miles west of Altoona. Authorized on August 31, 1964, this park commemorates an ingenious inclined plane system that provided a vital trans-mountain link in the 400-mile long trade route connecting Philadelphia with the Ohio River Valley during the mid-1800s.