For the National Park Service, the 112th Congress, which was in session over 2011 and 2012, was notable more for what was not accomplished than what was. In a departure from all other sessions in recent memory, the two-year Congress that ended on January 3rd did not authorize any new national park units, national heritage areas, wild and scenic rivers, national trails, wilderness areas, or studies of potential new designations.

Though an intriguing and beautifully hued sea creature, the Crown-of-Thorn starfish can be deadly to coral reefs. That's why divers at National Park of American Samoa recently killed nearly 100 of the starfisjh.

Watch our new video to see why visiting a national park in another country doesn’t have to be hard—especially in Finland. Nuuksio National Park’s spectacular lakes and trails will be a major tourist attraction this summer when the park's hi-tech Finnish Nature Centre Haltia opens—a fast, easy bus ride from Helsinki.

Work to recover Fire Island National Seashore in New York from Hurricane Sandy continues, but it's too early to plan a Memorial Day Weekend escape there, according to national seashore officials.