In what could be the most significant legislative action pertaining to national parks since 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives is being asked to approve a defense authorization bill that has been amended to create a number of new units of to the National Park System, from a Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park in New York to a Manhattan Project National Historical Park spread across a handful of states.

Federal loan guarantees needed to ensure financing for a commercial hog operation upstream of the Buffalo National River in Arkansas were inappropriately approved by federal agencies that failed to adequately review the project's potential environmental impacts, a judge has ruled.

Yosemite National Park has launched a new website to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Yosemite National Park. The website is designed to provide an innovative way for community members and interested parties to actively participate in the celebrations surrounding the anniversary that will be staged throughout the 2015 calendar year.

It sure doesn’t seem like a whole year has passed, but it’s time again for the annual Christmas Bird Count. Sponsored by the National Audubon Society, this is the 115th consecutive year the count has been held, making it one of the world’s longest running and largest citizen science projects. The 2014-15 count dates fall between December 14th and January 5th. Participation is free.