America's Great Outdoors

Always on the lookout for a snack, bald eagles often perch in trees or glide through the air near bodies of water. Large raptors, their wingspan can exceed 7 feet. With their regal white heads, bald eagles have been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. The oldest recorded bald eagle lived to be 38 years old. Since they usually mate for life, that means eagle romances can last for decades. Photo by Lisa Hupp, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Amazing sky over the Big Southern Butte in Idaho by Devin Englestead, BLM Upper Snake Wildlife Biologist.
Big Southern Butte is one of two domes rising from a sea of basalt near the center of the eastern Snake River Plain. The butte is one of the largest volcanic domes in the world, but at 300,000 years old is also one of the youngest. Hikers who trek to the 7,550-foot high summit are rewarded with spectacular panoramic views.

Big news: The rare Sierra Nevada red fox was recently spotted in Yosemite National Park in California. The confirmed sighting, which was captured with a remote motion-sensitive camera, is the first time this species of fox has been seen in Yosemite National Park in nearly 100 years. The Sierra Nevada red fox of California is one of the rarest mammals in North America, likely consisting of fewer than 50 individuals. National Park Service photo.

Today, the Obama Administration moved to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, releasing a conservation plan and calling on Congress to designate core areas of the refuge – including its Coastal Plain – as wilderness, the highest level of protection available to public lands.

The 19.8 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska is widely considered one of the most spectacular and remote areas in the world. It is home to the most diverse wildlife in the arctic, from caribou and polar bears to gray wolves and muskoxen. Lagoons, beaches, saltmarshes, tundra and forests make up the remote and undisturbed wild area that spans five distinct ecological regions, and the refuge holds special meaning to Alaska Natives – having sustained their lives and culture for thousands of years. Learn more at www.DOI.gov.

Top photo: Mother and polar bear cub at Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Middle photo: Moonrise over the Brooks Range.

Bottom photo: Northern Lights dance above the refuge.

At 13.2 million acres which is bigger than the country of Switzerland, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park stretches from one of the tallest peaks in North America, Mount St. Elias (18,008) to the ocean. Yet within this wild landscape, people have been living off the land for centuries and still do today. The park is a rugged yet inviting place to experience your own adventure.

Photo: National Park Service

At 13.2 million acres which is bigger than the country of Switzerland, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve stretches from one of the tallest peaks in North America, Mount St. Elias (18,008) to the ocean. Yet within this wild landscape, people have been living off the land for centuries and still do today. The park is a rugged yet inviting place to experience your own adventure.

Photo: National Park Service