It’s National Park Week and that means one thing –free admission! Entrance to each and every one of the National Park Service’s 394 units is free from April 16 – 24. Some National Parks are holding special events or junior ranger opportunities. Details here. Read more

In 1911 something very important occurred for American forests. The Weeks Act was introduced by and named for Massachusetts Representative John W. Weeks. Before this legislation, forests in the East were privately owned — and for the most part were mismanaged, unprotected and damaged from poor logging practices and development. The forests had declining water quality and were at risk of large wildfires, erosion and flooding. Read more

I was on the phone with Dan Bailey today. His family homesteaded in an area of Bridger-Teton National Forest called the Upper Hoback. When describing what it’s like to return home, driving north toward Bondurant, Wyo., and the southern gateway to Greater Yellowstone, Bailey told me: “You come over the rim, and it’s an incredible view. You can say, ‘I have arrived in Greater Yellowstone.’ You don’t need a sign to tell you something big has changed.” Region:  Central Rockies Read more