News

Happy National Park week! This year's celebration, held from August 22 to 30, coincides with the 110th anniversary of the National Park Service. To celebrate, park fees were waived for visitors on Tuesday, and daily themed celebrations are being held throughout the week.  

This year's celebrations are designed around the theme of "Celebrate America's Story" in honor of the nation's 250th anniversary.  

The Park Service also launched a new collaboration with Google called the United Parks of America virtual hub, which uses 3D models, AI-powered tours, and immersive storytelling to help visitors explore America's scenic landscapes and historical sites from anywhere in the world.   

While America's national parks are an enduring testament to the country's natural beauty and wonder, they are also crucial assets for scientific research, economic development, physical and mental health, and many other public benefits.  

For example, national parks and other public lands under the National Parks Service serve as invaluable sites for ecological research and species recovery. In Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park will be implementing a new phase of its greenback cutthroat trout restoration project this week. As the largest native trout restoration ever undertaken in Colorado, the project aims to restore the state fish to the Cache la Poudre watershed. After experts feared for decades that the greenback cutthroat was extinct, biologists are successfully bringing it back in the pristine waters of Rocky Mountain National Park and elsewhere in the state.  

Another example of research and recovery comes from Utah, where scientists are studying the intricate ecosystems found in biocrust in Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. Biocrust, or cryptobiotic soil, is the slow growing, craggy surface that spreads across desert landscapes around the world. The more researchers understand about these complex organisms, the more they reveal about biocrust's ability to prevent erosion, ward off invasive and fire-prone species, manage dust, and retain nutrients in barren desert climates.  

Outside of the countless research projects that Parks Service lands make possible, national parks drive crucial economic activity in rural areas, especially in the West.  

Last year, eight of the top ten most visited national parks were in the West, resulting in tens of millions of visitors. In 2024, visitors spent an estimated $29 billion in local gateway communities while visiting NPS lands. The largest chunks of visitor spending came in local lodging ($11.1 billion) and restaurants ($5.7 billion), which account for a crucial share of the economies of gateway towns in the West. 

Western Governors have consistently advocated for federal legislation to support gateway communities and make the West's treasured landscapes accessible and protected for all.  

Additionally, Western Governors are putting particular emphasis on the physical and mental health benefits of the outdoors this year, though Hawaiʻi Governor Josh Green’s Health Beyond Healthcare initiative. Numerous studies, including recent research from Oregon State University, have proven measurable mental health benefits from outdoor recreation.  

Get involved with the initiative and register to attend upcoming workshops in Bismarck, North Dakota, and Jackson, Wyoming, here.  

Fusion in New Mexico: this week, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced that Pacific Fusion had begun construction on its $1 billion research and manufacturing campus in Albuquerque.  

As opposed to traditional nuclear energy produced through fission, nuclear fusion operates in the same way as the sun – by fusing two lighter atoms together and harnessing the immense energy that's produced. The new demonstration center in New Mexico aims to build toward the nation's first reliable fusion energy source.  

“Less than a year ago, we announced that Pacific Fusion had selected New Mexico for this extraordinary investment, and today, construction begins,” Governor Lujan Grisham said. “Pacific Fusion’s decision to build here demonstrates that New Mexico leads the nation in creating the industries of the future. This facility will create high-quality jobs, strengthen our advanced-manufacturing economy and help establish New Mexico as the place where the next-generation energy is developed and ultimately deployed.” 

New Utah medical campus: last week, Governor Spencer Cox and University of Utah leadership officially cut the ribbon on the new Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine. The $215 million, 210,000-squre-foot facility will expand the U's academic medical center, which trains approximately two thirds of physicians in Utah.  

The new facility is designed to modernize medical training in Utah, allowing for more collaboration, simulation, and hands-on training for medical school students throughout their time at the University.  

Loans for carbon capture: the North Dakota Industrial Commission, chaired by Governor Kelly Armstrong, recently approved $205 million in loans for a new carbon capture project at the coal-fired Milton R. Young Station, which sits above an area geologically suited for permanent underground carbon storage.  

The loans will support Minnkota Power Cooperative and Reliant Carbon Capture & Storage on their joint carbon capture and storage effort. Officials said that the project will cut emissions from the power plant by 95% and create 350 jobs.  

Learn more about carbon capture and storage by reading the Decarbonizing the West initiative report from Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon's term as WGA Chair.  

Fat marmot week: welcome to the inaugural Fat Marmot Week in Colorado, which is celebrating these alpine rodents while they bulk up for the winter. The bracket-style competition mirrors the popular Fat Bear Week in Alaska, which lets participants pick their favorite hibernation-ready contestant.  

The contest is hosted by the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory near Crested Butte, where the lab's marmot research is the second-longest running study of free-living mammals. Researchers say that low snowpack led to a tough year for marmots, who feast on wildflowers and other plants in preparation for winter.  

Pick your favorite marmot before the winner is announced on Sunday! 

World record golf shot: 29-year-old long drive champion Kyle Berkshire recently took to the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course in Rawlins, Wyoming, on a mission to hit a golf ball further than anyone ever had before. He was competing against his own world record, which he set at the same course in 2023.  

With a little help from the thin air at 6,800 feet, Berkshire hit a ball 588.1 yards, breaking his previous world record of 579.66 yards. Even after breaking the record, Berkshire's team says he's still gunning for a 600-yard drive.