Stunning Images of National Parks Around DC

November 16, 2016

Washington, DC is populated with renowned stone edifices and towering monuments. Some even call our nation’s capital “American Rome.” Of course, national treasures are not limited to the metropolitan and man-made. Sublime natural beauty abounds in the parks of the Potomac River watershed.

Battlefields, wildlife preserves, canals, aquatic gardens, forests. The National Capitol Region has them all. And the National Park Service celebrates them in “A Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital,” available through GPO.

024-005-01275-3_a-photographers-path-images-of-national-parks-near-the-nations-capitalA Photographer’s Path: Images of National Parks Near the Nation’s Capital

National Park Service photographer Thomas Paradis spotlights the idyllic, artful, and even curious scenes within the region. It’s a “pictorial journey” that “reveals the subtlety and nuance of our natural landscapes.”

Now, I’ll let the images speak for themselves:

Swallowtail perched on branch. Manassas National Park

Swallowtail perched on branch. Manassas National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking toward Chimney Rock. Catoctin Mountain Park

Looking toward Chimney Rock. Catoctin Mountain Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heron over Great Falls. Great Falls Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park

Heron over Great Falls. Great Falls Park, George Washington Memorial Parkway and Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW DO I OBTAIN THIS PUBLICATION?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

 

2 Comments | Art, Department of the Interior, Landmarks & Monuments, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

On America’s Trails

September 30, 2016

stelprdbLet’s talk briefly about two American legends celebrated on screen and page. One stretches 2,160 miles from Mount Katahdin, Maine to Springer Mountain, Georgia. The second covers 2,665 miles from America’s southern and northernmost borders along the mountain ranges of Washington, Oregon, and California.

They’re the Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails, respectively—the first scenic trails designated by the Federal government nearly a half-century ago. On October 2, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Trails System Act into law. It established a network of scenic, historic, and recreation trails. You can read the original act on GPO’s govinfo.

Until 1968, the Federal government simply built and maintained trails on Federal lands. The National Trails System Act expanded that role by providing funding and support for interstate coordination and volunteer partnerships. Today, the National Trails System includes 20 national scenic and historic trails traversing nearly 40,000 miles.

In addition to making the National Trails System Act available on govinfo, GPO makes available these trail-related resources:

024-005-01277-0National Trails System: Map and Guide

This National Park Service full-color map depicts eight national scenic trails and nine national historic trails. The National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management work in concert to keep trails well-marked and well-monitored. Check out the NPS website for the complete list of scenic and historic trails.

The Iditarod National Historic Trail (Poster)

024-011-00198-1_01On one side of this U.S. Forest Service poster is a timeline and map.  On the other side is a photo of a 1913 dog sled mail team. Together, they commemorate a historic 1,500 miles stretch of winter travel tracks connected to form America’s last gold rush trail.

Upon throwing his support behind a national system of trails, President Johnson said, “The forgotten outdoorsmen of today are those who like to walk, hike, ride horseback, or bicycle. For them we must have trails as well as highways…In the back country we need to copy the great Appalachian Trail in all parts of our country…”

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Celebrating the National Park Service’s Centennial

August 24, 2016

grand-1434695_1280Since the creation of the National Park Service (NPS) on August 25, 1916, more than 275 million people visit the natural and cultural resources every year!

The seed for the national park idea was planted in 1864 with the passage of the Yosemite Grant. In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the bill creating Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the history of the world. This trend continued with the signing of the Antiquities Act of 1906, by the great lover of nature, President Theodore Roosevelt, who sought to protect scientific items of cultural heritage. The Act further prohibited the removal of cultural items from Federal lands without a permit. At that time, permits were granted by the agency managing that particular monument, especially the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture. Hence, monuments were managed by various agencies.

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service, but it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who in 1933 consolidated the stewardship of all national monuments and parks under the NPS. In 1935, through the Historic Sites Act, the US publically declared its goal to protect and preserve cultural heritage sites. Since then, Presidential administrations have classified more and more sites as cultural heritage. Thus far, we have close to 400 cultural heritage sites. The Obama administration alone is responsible for adding 18 of them.

9780160932090We invite you to browse the U.S. Government Bookstore’s National Parks collection. It includes everything from posters, maps, and park guides to coloring books for children. Of particular interest is the National Parks Index 2012 – 2016: 2016 National Park Service Centennial: Official Index of the National Park Service. This index is a complete administrative listing of the National Park System’s areas and related areas, including historical documentation to distinguish between the types of National Park Service sites. It has been revised to reflect congressional actions. The entries, grouped by state, include administrative addresses and phone numbers, dates of authorization and establishment, boundary change dates, acreages, website addresses, and brief statements explaining the areas’ national significance.

024-005-01271-1You can also experience a little of what the NPS has to offer in the Washington, D.C. area through the pamphlet, “National Park Service: Where History Happens,” on sale via the U.S. Government Bookstore. Learn more about the D.C. area’s most historic attractions: where Abraham Lincoln died or where Martin Luther King, Jr. made his famous “I Have a Dream…” speech. Visit Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, seemingly completely frozen in time, as workers cultivate the farm using the same techniques and tools as in Washington’s  era.

America’s heritage includes monuments, parks, recreational sites, parkways, and many other things. Layer upon layer, time upon time, when we look at these structures we are not just looking at our past, we are learning from it so we can build a better tomorrow. History is always being made; the unheard of yesterday is being made possible today.

Below is a list of handpicked resources for those interested in learning more. Find these resources via govinfo, the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications, and the U.S. Government Online Bookstore.

govinfo – https://www.govinfo.gov/features/national-park-service-centennial

  1. History of H.R. 3556 – A bill to prepare the National Park Service for its Centennial in 2016 and for a second century of protecting our national parks’ natural, historic, and cultural resources for present and future generations, and for other purposes
  1. 160 Cong. Rec. H3254 – NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 100TH ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATIVE COIN ACT
  1. REPT. 106-250 – ANTIQUITIES ACT OF 1906

Catalog of U.S. Government Publications – http://catalog.gpo.gov/

  1. National Park Service: Where History Happens
  1. National Registry of Natural Landmarks
  1. The Secretary of the Interior’s standards for the treatment of historic properties : with guidelines for preserving, rehabilitating, restoring & reconstructing historic buildings
  1. National historic landmarks listed by state or territory
  1. Presenting nature : the historic landscape design of the National Park Service, 1916 to 1942
  1. National Park Service administrative history : a guide

U.S. Government Online Bookstore – http://bookstore.gpo.gov

  1. National Park Service: Where History Happens
  1. Washington: The Nation’s Capital (2013 Map)
  1. Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Illustrated Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings (ePub eBook)
  1. National Trails System: Map and Guide, 2010 Edition
  1. National Park System (Wall Map Poster)
  1. Great American Landmarks Adventure
  1. The National Parks: Shaping the System
  1. Yellowstone: A Natural and Human History, Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming
  2. Underground Railroad: Official Map and Guide (Folder)

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

You can click on the links above in the blog or through any of these methods:

 Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Mohammed Butt is a Technical Services Librarian in GPO’s Library Services & Content Management unit.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Travel to National Parks with These Charley Harper Posters

August 4, 2016

Thinking of traveling to a national park this summer? In addition to being prime time for outdoor exploration, August is American Artists Appreciation Month and the National Park Service’s (NPS) centennial month. Even if you can’t swing a national park trip, Charley Harper’s nature-oriented prints can take you there.

West Virginia-born, Cincinnati-based artist Charley Harper (1922-2007) is beloved for his highly stylized interpretive artwork. In the 1980s and early 1990s, NPS commissioned him to illustrate the wildlife of our parks. Based upon his cross-country travels and the stimuli of nature, Harper produced a 10-poster series in his trademark minimalist, geometric style. Four of those eye-catching renderings—Alpine Northwest, Atlantic Barrier Islands, Canyon Country, and The Rocky Mountains—are available through GPO.

024-005-01047-5Alpine Northwest—a bald eagle lords over his dominion, representing Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks.

Atlantic Barrier Islands024-005-00982-5—marine birds skirt along shifting bodies of sand and white-tipped tides that one could find on Fire Island, Assateague, Cape Hatteras, Cape Lookout, Cumberland Island, and Biscayne National Park.

024-005-01064-5Canyon Country (Large Version)—the American Southwest’s dizzyingly high pinnacles, buttes, and mesas are a signature of the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and the like.

The Rocky Mountains (Large Version)—a beaver drinks at a pond that reflects the landscape of the great Continental Divide. 024-005-00967-1

It’s quite remarkable how Harper’s compositions use shapes to imaginatively depict an entire ecosystem. Bold colors and whimsical lines will brighten a schoolroom, playroom, breakroom, workroom, any room. Each one takes you to a corner of our country’s public lands. Celebrate American artistry and the past 100 years of national parks with Charley Harper’s tribute to wild, enchanted America.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE CHARLEY HARPER POSTERS?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

 Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Chelsea Milko is a Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Department of the Interior, Libraries, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

Explore the Nation’s Capital

July 6, 2016

Washington D.C. is the nation’s capital and is one of the most exciting and vibrant travel spots in America, especially in the good ole summertime. You can jump start your travel plans to the Nation’s Capital with the following publications, available from the U.S. Government Bookstore.

9780160929892A fun teaching tool, the White House Junior Ranger Activity Book Guide Book can teach your kids about the history of the White House in three easy steps. Buy it in advance of your trip to DC so the kids can equip themselves with cool facts about our President’s home.

024-005-00974-4Lincoln Memorial: A Guide to the Lincoln Memorial, District of Columbia is your introduction to the majestic memorial set at the far west end of the Mall. Learn about an iconic President and the imposing memorial representing his legacy of freedom. Your visit will be richer for it.

052-070-07481-7There’s no more beautiful site in Washington than the Botanic Garden in full summer bloom. A Botanic Garden for the Nation: The United States Botanic Garden offers a tour of this natural treasure that explodes with color and biodiversity.

Don’t just take our advice. Visit washington.org to discover more about your nation’s capital.

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

 Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Blogger contributor Ed Kessler is a Promotions Specialist in GPO’s Publication and Information Sales program office.

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, Family, National Park Service, Travel and Tourism, U.S. Botanic Garden | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

This National Park Week, Be a Junior Ranger!

April 14, 2016

April 16-24 is National Park week and 2016 is the National Park Service’s (NPS) centennial year. National parks symbolize America’s spirit of discovery. Although protected today, parks need stewardship for tomorrow. The NPS activity-based Junior Ranger program aims to turn young visitors into lifelong enthusiasts. GPO makes available several park-specific booklets to help 5- to 12-year-olds explore “America’s best idea.”

The White House Junior Ranger Activity Guide

Home. Workplace. Museum. And National Park! The White House, home to every president and first family since 1800, is the only building in the world that fits all those categories. Since 1933, The White House has operated under the National Park System. That piece of presidential acreage sees millions of visitors each year. Now there’s a new fact-filled White House guide that appeals to both kids and adults.

9780160929892This booklet drops some great presidential trivia. Abigail Adams used the East Room to hang laundry. Dolly Madison saved a famous painting of George Washington from the War of 1812 fire. Edith Wilson was the first to showcase custom patterned china. All White House occupants leave a visible impression but first ladies drive the story of expansion, design, and entertainment. Beyond aesthetics, the booklet points out that first ladies were “champions for change.” President Harry Truman understood this well. He often introduced First Lady Elizabeth Truman as “the Boss.”

The booklet includes several pages of post-tour activities, including a President’s Park walking map, first family puzzle, and the ABC’s of architecture. Tip for parents: kids can present their booklet to a White House Visitor Center to be sworn in as a badged and certified Junior Ranger!

Redwood National and State Parks Junior Ranger Activity Booklet

Redwood Trees looking up Source: www.nps.gov

Redwood Trees looking up: http://www.nps.gov

Redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth. Living fossil records. But decades of commercial logging nearly decimated old-growth redwood forests of the North Coast region. In this booklet, Ranger Jim points out that “about 95% of the original coast redwood forest was cut down.” Although that statistic is dismaying, take heart. NPS is the capable caretaker of those special giants.

024-005-01316-4The booklet has dozens of activities families can complete while exploring redwood areas. Play tide pool bingo, be a tree detective, and fish for the right color. Write your observations in the ranger beach report. Solve the octopus tree mystery. Keep track of badge points. The fun and fascination are as endless as the redwoods are tall.

Next time you visit a national park, take a fact-filled activity booklet along!

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PUBLICATIONS?

Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.

 Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.

Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.

Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.

About the author: Our guest blogger is Chelsea Milko, Public Relations Specialist in GPO’s Public Relations Office.

Leave a Comment » | Children, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, National Park Service, Parenting, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

How to “SPOT” Trucks Carrying Hazardous Materials on Highways during Road Trips?

October 1, 2014
trucks

(Image compliments of dreamstime royalty free photos)

I travel to NJ by car frequently for long weekends. This past summer, I took a long road trip from Northern Virginia to New England.   This large span of highway took me close to ten hours in my personal vehicle without traffic delays or any traffic-related accidents.

On these trips I often encounter the now familiar visions of red brake/tail lights in front of me, and hear the screeching of brakes coming from somewhere around me and hope/pray that the other vehicle is not near me. Sometimes these massive slow-downs are a result of a car fire, a traffic accident with multiple vehicles, or bumper-to-bumper traffic due to people viewing a recent incident on the other side of the highway.

While I am sitting at a stand-still, I often wonder how the policeman that arrives while I am sitting in traffic know whom to call to clean the roadway to make it safe for others?   When we are allowed to move forward and get closer to the incident, we have all seen them – those responders, that are in their “special” suits and masks called in to deal with cleaning up this roadway mess, an image that may look similar to this one:

(Image compliments of US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration website)

(Image compliments of US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration website)

They often arrive after the incident has taken place. Aside from their sense of smell, how do they know what type of hazardous material is on the roadway? Are all chemical spills treated the same way?

According to the Department of Transportation (US DOT), Federal Highway Administration’s publication targeted at First Responders titled “Traffic Incident Management in Hazardous Materials: Spills in Incident Clearance”. The Federal Highway Administration’s mission is to “Keep America Moving”.

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) and spill management are two of the tools in the “resource toolbox” that focus on reducing congestion.

050-000-00596-8[1]The purpose of this document is to report practices regarding the clean-up of incidental spills and to explain the use of the United States Department of Transportation’s (U.S. DOT) Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG). This document also describes techniques and strategies that can be used to handle hazardous material spills at traffic incidents.

Volume of Hazardous Material Shipments

(Image compliments of dreamstime-copyright-free images)

(Image compliments of dreamstime-copyright-free images)

Current research indicates that hazardous materials traffic in the U.S. now exceeds 800,000 shipments per day.   When you think about how many trucks you see while driving on the highways and airplanes flying overhead daily, that is an abundance of hazardous materials being transported!

The largest tank volume is the saddle tank (normally 70 gallons) on a semi-truck. Depending on the number of tanks on the truck, the maximum capacity for fuel for a commercial vehicle can be as much as 350 to 420 gallons!

Types of Hazardous Materials

(Image compliments of U.S. Department of Transportation website)

(Image compliments of U.S. Department of Transportation website)

Under the DOT’s Hazardous Materials Regulations notations included in this guide, (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180) hazardous materials are categorized by analysis and experience into hazard classes and packing groups. Each shipper is required to classify a material according to these hazard classes and packing groups and communicate the material’s hazards. The shipper repetitively communicates the hazard through the use of package labels, shipping papers, and placards on transport vehicles.

The DOT has broad jurisdiction to regulate hazardous materials that are in transport, including the discretion to decide which materials shall be classified as “hazardous.” These materials are placed in one of nine (9) hazard classes based on their chemical and physical properties. Therefore, it’s important for response personnel to understand the hazard classes, their divisions, and reclassified materials so they can assess the situation and respond, accordingly.

Here is an image of a sampling of the types of placards that you may be able to recognize on trucks traveling the US highways with you:

(Images compliments of Wikipedia)

(Images compliments of Wikipedia)

You can find this Transportation Incident050-001-00345-7[2] Management in Hazardous Materials Spills in Incident Clearance print book available at the US Government Printing Office Overstock Sale here.

While supplies last, you can check out all the titles in our 50% Off Overstock collection here.

GPOVERSTOCK-SALE-BannerOur Overstock Sale includes an assortment of print and eBook titles discounted by 50% from the list price ranging in topical categories from military history …. to transportation …. to health resources ….. to childcare …… check out this clearance sale today!

HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE PUBLICATIONS?

About the Author – This week’s blog contributor is Maureen Whelan, Senior Marketing Team Leader for GPO’s Publication & Information Sales division  in Washington, DC.  Maureen oversees print and digital content dissemination strategy and manages third party free and paid content distribution vendors such as Apple iBookstore, Google Play eBookstore, EBSCOhost, Overdrive, and more.

 

Leave a Comment » | Consumers, Department of Transportation, Emergency Response, Travel and Tourism | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Trudy Hawkins

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