In Montana, grizzly bear activity threatened to cancel a hike in Glacier National Park by Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.
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45 residences are still under evacuation orders due to the Copper King Fire burning near Thompson Falls.
“It’s selfish of us to destroy things that the next generations need to see and enjoy”, said George Free, a park visitor.
That’s part of the reason for making such a big deal out of turning 100 – convincing young people to care about the country’s national parks, and to advocate for the National Park Service in the years to come. Park staff also attended over 70 community events including the “Soultown Downtown” music festival hosted by LEAF in Asheville, NC. If we lose our national parks, we lose our history.
But this weekend, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Park Service, there will be no charge for admission – giving all Americans a chance to experience a national treasure for free.
It’s the 100th anniversary of the founding the the system by President Wilson in 1916.
The properties in the National Parks System nearest to Ohio University are Hopewell National Historical Park, about one hour away from Athens in Chillicothe, and Cuyahoga Valley National Park near Cleveland.
On Wednesday President Barack Obama created the Katahdin Woods and Waters monument on 87,000 acres in Maine’s North Woods donated by the founder of Burt’s Bees, Roxanne Quimby.
The University of Tennessee partnered with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and is involved with financial support, preservation and stewardship of the park. Other countries can’t say they’ve accomplished preserving their pristine, natural wonders in the way we have. Jewell said climate change is a concern for the future of other national parks from Alaska to the Florida Everglades.
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Post Register contributor John Parsons added to this report.
