The Great Outdoors!

President Obama has proclaimed June 2013 as "Great Outdoors Month." In his proclamation, the President reminded Americans of the obligations they have to preserve and protect the nation's natural "treasures," including the National Parks, National Monuments and other public lands. He noted that earlier this year, he designated five new National Monuments. Obama also promoted the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, a group of federal programs that offer young people employment in improving and preserving public lands and national parks, providing disaster preparation and recovery, restoring natural habitats and creating urban parks and gardens, and in other public services areas.

To celebrate the Great Outdoors, the McKusick Law Library has created a display of resources from our collection about the nation's public lands. Included are These American Lands from the Wilderness Society, about the history, problems and future of America's public lands, including its national parks, national forests, wildlife refuges and designated wilderness areas, and Federal Land Management Agencies edited by Pamela D. Baldwin, which provides a very interesting overview of how federal lands and resources are managed, the authorities under which these lands are managed, and some of the issues associated with federal land management.

Before heading out to any of the federal public lands and recreational areas this summer, outdoor enthusiasts are advised to check the individual websites for each park, monument, forest or wilderness area. Many services have been impacted by federal sequestration (a series of automatic, across-the-board permanent spending cuts) and there may be decreases in entrance station hours, educational programming and ranger-led activities, as well as less road, trail and campsite maintenance. To read how sequestration has affected services at two parks, see the Glacier National Park and the Wind Cave National Park websites.

(This entry was originally written and posted by Marsha Stacey)