News and reports from the Department of the Interior.

“The return of these annual holidays is the signal for bringing friends together, and uniting around the family fireside.” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Bring your bird questions, and favorite snack and beverage, and settle in to watch the feeders at the Indiana Dunes National Park's Park Connection Office, located off the Chellberg Farm Parking lot on Thursdays December 8, 15, and 22 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

Friday, December 30th will be the annual Christmas Bird Count at Pipestone National Monument. Volunteers will meet at the park visitor center at 7:30am for complimentary coffee and donuts, break into groups, and head out to count those birds!

The National Park Service (NPS) is preparing an Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Laurel Falls Trail Management Plan and is seeking public input beginning December 1 through January 6.

Congaree National Park will be increasing the fee for nightly campsite reservations in the park’s designated frontcountry campgrounds

Due to significant and ongoing conservation concerns, the Queets and Salmon Rivers will remain closed to sport fishing to protect wild steelhead populations. Additionally, the Quinault River within Olympic National Park will be closed to fishing on December 1, 2022.

Holiday events this year at Wind Cave National Park begin Sunday, December 11, with the park’s annual Christmas Bird Count followed by a holiday open house on Monday, December 19.

Congratulations to the four participants selected for the 2023 Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program at Capitol Reef National Park.

Death Valley National Park opened Cottonwood Canyon and Marble Canyon roads on Wednesday, November 23. The National Park Service (NPS) road crew re-established these backcountry roads after damage by flash floods this summer.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed demolition and rebuilding of twenty-nine structures and 2.63 miles of the 30-mile Entergy Louisiana LLC (Entergy) Golden Meadow-Barataria electrical transmission.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park invites the community to participate in a public meeting regarding protection and potential future use of the remote 16,451-acre Kahuku-Pōhue parcel the park acquired earlier this year.

Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve will begin the next phase of their efforts to backfill 12.75 miles of canals and their spoil deposits within the Barataria Preserve to restore more natural hydrology (Figure 1).

Shenandoah National Park implemented a pilot ticketing program to manage visitation to Old Rag, one the park’s most popular hiking opportunities in March 2022

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area provides year-round recreational opportunities, however visitor services and maintenance operations are reduced during the winter months when staffing levels and visitation are at their lowest.

The National Park Service (NPS) is seeking feedback on a Glacier Bay National Park draft Marine Management Plan and Environmental Assessment between November 30 and December 30, 2022.