Less than two years after an oyster-farming operation was shut down in Point Reyes National Seashore following a dispute that was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, three environmental groups are challenging the National Park Service over the planned renewal of leases to cattle-ranching and dairy operations that have existed on the coastal California peninsula for 150 years.

This is not an ordinary book review. The only reason I know about this book is because I read in the news that NPS Director Jonathan Jarvis had been disciplined for writing it, so this review will also discuss that context.

I’ve written a few times about the national parks I consider the best for birding, but several readers have asked which would be the best to visit to maximize the diversity of birds seen. When we talk about number of different birds seen, I always think about a big year. During a big year, a birder tries to see as many birds as possible in one calendar year within a certain geographic range, or under certain conditions.

Two of the greatest backcountry trips I had this year involved float trips in Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park. Why? The solitude. Outside of our own small groups, it was as if we had the parks to ourselves.