The Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which does yeoman's work when it comes to helping the National Park Service oversee its namesake trail, has adopted a five-year strategic plan intended to lead to better protection and management of the trail.

Flooding problems, possible sewage overflows, and downed trees were causing problems Friday for Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Rock Creek Park, and other National Park System units in and around Washington, D.C., and officials said things could get worse this weekend.

We look to national park vacations as a healthy lifestyle ingredient, one filled with fun, laughter, and lasting memories. Not on our agendas is worrying about mercury in the fish we pull from mountain streams, droughts that would beach our boats, or industrial and agricultural pollution that impairs the very waters we enjoy in the parks. Sadly, those issues aren’t foreign to the National Park System.

Lyme Disease is a common and serious tick-borne illness that can be difficult to diagnose, and both early recognition of infection and prompt treatment are important. Unfortunately, a new study says many hikers on the Appalachian Trail are unable to recognize one of the key indicators that an individual may have contracted the illness.