Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell will host a town hall meeting Saturday in Anacortes to hear about the ongoing progress to conserve and protect the San Juan Islands.

This will be Salazar’s third visit to the area, taking part in the dialogue to learn how the department can be a better partner in supporting community-driven conservation efforts. That is a key component in President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

The proposed San Juan Islands National Conservation Area was identified as one of 18 backcountry areas the department highlighted as deserving protection by Congress as …

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Our already famous Mount Rainier is gaining some added fame with an appearance on 42nd Street in New York’s Times Square.

If you’re in Times Square in the next 38 days, watch out for the grizzly bear and the cannon.

The park is featured in one of two 15-second spots running for the next 38 days on a 26-foot by 20-foot Jumbotron on 42nd Street. The videos are courtesy of long-time National Park Service partner, Eastern National. which operates nonprofit bookstores in more than 130 national parks across the nation.

“Millions of Americans will have an opportunity to see amazing …

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The National Park Service formally named the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial as America’s 395th national park Sunday – the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The National Park Service also said it will working with the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Foundation to reschedule Sunday’s ceremonial dedication that was postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

Here is the rest of the press release:

“Welcoming this memorial to the National Mall honors a heroic man and a critical chapter in our nation’s march toward a more

…

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Former Mount Rainier and Olympic national park employee Barbara Murphy, 51, died July 13 of complications resulting from a recent illness and surgery.

Murphy was an employee of the National Park Service for 18 years

Here is the rest of the news release:

She worked in the comptroller’s organization overseeing the administration of the NPS construction program. She worked in the cultural resources division in Pacific West Region from 2007 until coming to Washington in 2010. She also worked in Olympic, Whiskeytown and Mount Rainier.

Barbara went about her administrative duties with an attention to detail and extraordinary

…

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Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the
National Park Service will waive admission fees on 17 dates in 2011.

The fee-free dates will be the weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
(Jan. 15-17), National Park Week (April 16-24), the first day of summer (June 21), National Public Lands Day (Sept. 24), and the weekend of Veterans Day (Nov. 11-13).

While the Park Service typically offers some fee free days, it expanded the number days two summers ago during the recession.

That is one reason the Park Service will continue the program this year.

“In …

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The National Park Service has a website ready to help families plan their summer adventures. Here is the press release:

Summer is the time for… climbing the peak … hitting the trail … rafting the gorge …even discovering our history. Before heading out for adventure, all but the most spontaneous traveler spends at least a little time planning an itinerary, negotiating routes and researching the environs. If you’re looking for great places and things to do, we’ve got the site for you.

The National Park Service’s 2010 Summer Adventure trip planning website connects visitors to travel resources, events and services

…

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To mark the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day and to celebrate the launch of the administration’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar earlier today announced a schedule of free admission days to many of the lands managed by the Interior department.

All national parks, national wildlife refuges, and many areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management will offer free admission on June 5-6, Aug. 14-15, Sept. 25 (Public Lands Day), and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).

This will include free admission to places like Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks, and Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. …

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As part of National Park Week April 17 to 25, the National Park Service will waive admission fees to national parks. That means admission to places like Mount Rainier and Olympic national parks will be free that week.

Of the 392 national parks, 146 charge entrance fees ranging from $3 to $25. The other 246 do not charge for admission.

The other national parks units in Washington that will waive entrance fees that week are Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, Lewis & Clark National Historical Park and Whitman Mission National Historic Site. North Cascades National Park Complex does not …

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