More than two million people visit Assateague Island National Seashore annually to experience its many miles of pristine beach, watercolor sunsets, and the chance to view wild horses galloping along the sand dunes. Unfortunately, the barrier island is also the last stop for copious amounts of trash that is washed ashore or, worse, left behind due by visitors.

As Winter Storm Jonas delivered a pounding to the Northeast on Saturday, national park units in the mid-Atlantic region were shuttered and some planned to remain closed through Sunday.

Add Assateague Island National Seashore to your list of birthday cards to send out. The seashore, which sprawls across parts of Maryland and Virginia, turns 50 in September.

Once considered largely to be worthless, national parks today are economic engines that generate $26.5 billion for the nation's economy.