This week in national park and public lands news: A major US Forest Service overhaul, including relocating its headquarters from Washington, DC to Salt Lake City by 2027; a bill to redesignate Chiricahua National Monument as a national park passed the House and heads to the Senate; National Park Week in 2026 will move to August; a lawsuit challenges firearm bans inside NPS buildings; Grand Canyon’s South Rim enters Stage 3 water restrictions after a Trans-Canyon Waterline break, and more.

00:00 Intro 00:38 Forest Service Overhaul 02:32 New Arizona Park Push 03:39 Mammoth Cave Expansion 04:05 National Park Week Moves 05:14 Firearms Rules Lawsuit 06:29 Grand Canyon Water Crisis 08:23 Idaho Wildlife Charges 09:22 Millions of Bees Spill 10:35 Wrap Up and Goodbye

Before he was president… before he was a Rough Rider… Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly kid struggling to breathe.

Then he came to the Badlands.

In this episode of Parkography, we explore how the rugged landscapes of Theodore Roosevelt National Park transformed Roosevelt’s life—and ultimately helped shape the future of conservation in America.

From cattle ranching along the Little Missouri River to devastating personal loss, this is the story of how one wild place forged one of the most influential presidents in U.S. history.

This week in national park news: The National Park Service reports 323 million recreation visits in 2025 (down 2.7% from 2024), Mount Rushmore will host fireworks for the U.S. 250th anniversary amid ongoing regional wildfire concerns. A new CBP map no longer shows a primary border wall through Big Bend, instead labeling the area as detection technology, while Big Bend’s Chisos Basin will close starting May 1 for up to two years for lodge replacement and water infrastructure work. Lawmakers introduce the Save Our Sequoias Act to fund reforestation, monitoring, and forest management after major tree losses, and Indiana will add all-terrain track chairs to every state park at no cost.

00:00 Big Changes Ahead 00:34 2025 Park Visitation Report 02:19 Mount Rushmore Fireworks Return 04:08 Big Bend Border Wall Update 05:41 Chisos Basin Two-Year Closure 07:03 Save Our Sequoias Act 08:47 Indiana Parks Accessibility Upgrade 09:46 Wrap Up And Thanks