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  • This sign marks the end of the Glacier Highway that currently ends at Echo Cove, approximately 43 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million road project to extend Glacier Highway for closer access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States whose roads do not connect with the continental road network. Currently travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.<br />
<br />
The plan by Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities calls for extending the road 48 miles along the Lynn Canal from Echo Cove north of Juneau to the Katzehin River where a new ferry terminal would be built. From there yet-to-be-built smaller ferries would transport vehicles and passengers to Haines and Skagway with four to eight trips per day.<br />
<br />
The proposal, decades in the making, is a contentious issue within the Lynn Canal communities. Proponents cite greater travel flexibility, lower costs for the state and travelers. Opponents cite concerns for marine and terrestrial wildlife, economic loss to local businesses, winter travel safety, landscape degradation, lack of planning for handling walk-on passengers to and from the remote Katzehin terminal and the high cost of the project.<br />
<br />
Most of the $570-million road construction cost will be paid by the federal government, with the state picking up approximately 10 percent in matching costs.<br />
<br />
In July, 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker lifted a moratorium on work on the project to complete environmental impact studies.
    End of Glacier Highway at Echo Cove.jpg
  • This sign marks the end of the Glacier Highway that currently ends at Echo Cove, approximately 43 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million road project to extend Glacier Highway for closer access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States whose roads do not connect with the continental road network. Currently travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.<br />
<br />
The plan by Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities calls for extending the road 48 miles along the Lynn Canal from Echo Cove north of Juneau to the Katzehin River where a new ferry terminal would be built. From there yet-to-be-built smaller ferries would transport vehicles and passengers to Haines and Skagway with four to eight trips per day.<br />
<br />
The proposal, decades in the making, is a contentious issue within the Lynn Canal communities. Proponents cite greater travel flexibility, lower costs for the state and travelers. Opponents cite concerns for marine and terrestrial wildlife, economic loss to local businesses, winter travel safety, landscape degradation, lack of planning for handling walk-on passengers to and from the remote Katzehin terminal and the high cost of the project.<br />
<br />
Most of the $570-million road construction cost will be paid by the federal government, with the state picking up approximately 10 percent in matching costs.<br />
<br />
In July, 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker lifted a moratorium on work on the project to complete environmental impact studies.
    End of Glacier Highway at Echo Cove-...jpg
  • This sign marks the end of the Glacier Highway that currently ends at Echo Cove, approximately 43 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million road project to extend Glacier Highway for closer access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States whose roads do not connect with the continental road network. Currently travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.<br />
<br />
The plan by Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities calls for extending the road 48 miles along the Lynn Canal from Echo Cove north of Juneau to the Katzehin River where a new ferry terminal would be built. From there yet-to-be-built smaller ferries would transport vehicles and passengers to Haines and Skagway with four to eight trips per day.<br />
<br />
The proposal, decades in the making, is a contentious issue within the Lynn Canal communities. Proponents cite greater travel flexibility, lower costs for the state and travelers. Opponents cite concerns for marine and terrestrial wildlife, economic loss to local businesses, winter travel safety, landscape degradation, lack of planning for handling walk-on passengers to and from the remote Katzehin terminal and the high cost of the project.<br />
<br />
Most of the $570-million road construction cost will be paid by the federal government, with the state picking up approximately 10 percent in matching costs.<br />
<br />
In July, 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker lifted a moratorium on work on the project to complete environmental impact studies.
    End of Glacier Highway at Echo Cove-...jpg
  • This sign marks the end of the Glacier Highway that currently ends at Echo Cove, approximately 43 miles north of Juneau, Alaska. The Juneau Access Improvements Project is a proposed $570-million road project to extend Glacier Highway for closer access to the southeast Alaska towns of Haines and Skagway. Juneau, Alaska’s capital, is the only capital city in the United States whose roads do not connect with the continental road network. Currently travelers either have to fly between Juneau, Haines and Skagway, or travel on one of the Alaska Marine Highway System ferries.<br />
<br />
The plan by Alaska’s Department of Transportation and Public Facilities calls for extending the road 48 miles along the Lynn Canal from Echo Cove north of Juneau to the Katzehin River where a new ferry terminal would be built. From there yet-to-be-built smaller ferries would transport vehicles and passengers to Haines and Skagway with four to eight trips per day.<br />
<br />
The proposal, decades in the making, is a contentious issue within the Lynn Canal communities. Proponents cite greater travel flexibility, lower costs for the state and travelers. Opponents cite concerns for marine and terrestrial wildlife, economic loss to local businesses, winter travel safety, landscape degradation, lack of planning for handling walk-on passengers to and from the remote Katzehin terminal and the high cost of the project.<br />
<br />
Most of the $570-million road construction cost will be paid by the federal government, with the state picking up approximately 10 percent in matching costs.<br />
<br />
In July, 2015, Alaska Governor Bill Walker lifted a moratorium on work on the project to complete environmental impact studies.
    End of Glacier Highway at Echo Cove.jpg
  • This dying chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) is likely to soon become food for the bald eagles along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Salmon are born in fresh water, travel to the salt water ocean and eventually return to fresh water to reproduce. When the salmon return to fresh water to spawn, they begin to deteriorate in the fresh water. Salmon in this stage are referred to as kelts. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Dying salmon.jpg
  • Honu or Hawaiian green sea turtles are native to Hawaii. They often come into shallow waters to feed on algae or to bask in the sun on beaches. The turtles are known to travel 700 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to lay their eggs and nest. The turtles are protected under Hawaii state and federal law as a threatened species. This turtle was photographed near the Hapaialii heiau in Keauhou on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hawaiian green sea turtle.jpg
  • Stars travel across the sky in a two hour time exposure taken from the Kanaloahuluhulu Meadow camping area in Kokee State Park on the island of Kauai in Hawaii.
    Star trails.jpg
  • Honu or Hawaiian green sea turtles are native to Hawaii. They often come into shallow waters to feed on algae or to bask in the sun on beaches. The turtles are known to travel 700 miles from the main Hawaiian Islands to the Northwest Hawaiian Islands to lay their eggs and nest. The turtles are protected under Hawaii state and federal law as a threatened species. This turtle was photographed near the Hapaialii heiau in Keauhou on the Big Island of Hawaii.
    Hawaiian green sea turtle.jpg
  • The Alaska Marine Highway ferry, M/V Malaspina makes its way north on the Lynn Canal from Juneau to Haines, Alaska.
    Malaspina ferry traveling north to H...jpg
  • Fall colors and a scenic view of Mt. Emmerich greet visitors to Haines, Alaska. Haines is a cruise ship destination on the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. The Haines Highway provides road access to the continental highway system. The photograph was taken at Picture Point on AK-7 (Lutak Road).<br />
<br />
Haines, Alaska, a picturesque town in southeast Alaska, is located on the Lynn Canal between the towns of Skagway and Juneau. Haines is one of the few towns in southeast Alaska that is connected with the North American highway system. The Haines Highway (Alaska Route 7 or AK-7) travels through British Columbia and the Yukon (Yukon Highway 3) to connect with the Alaska Highway in Haines Junction, Yukon.<br />
<br />
Haines is also a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway System with ferries arriving from Skagway and Juneau.<br />
<br />
Wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant. The Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the Chilkat River, near the confluence with the Tsirku River near Klukwan, is famous for its large concentration of bald eagles in the fall. At its peak in November, the American Bald Eagle Foundation sponsors the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival.
    Haines and Mt. Emmerich in fall.jpg
  • The stately historic officer's row buildings of the former U.S. Army post, Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska are easily spotted by travelers on the Lynn Canal. Built in 1904, Ft. Seward was the first permanent United States Army post in Alaska. Today the fort is no longer owned by the military.<br />
<br />
A recent addition to the Fort Seward skyline is the restored fire hall tower for the fort. After having been absent for approximately 80 years, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built about 110 years ago, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses.<br />
<br />
Haines, a picturesque town in southeast Alaska, is located on the Lynn Canal between the towns of Skagway and Juneau. Haines is one of the few towns in southeast Alaska that is connected with the North American highway system. The Haines Highway (Alaska Route 7 or AK-7) travels through British Columbia and the Yukon (Yukon Highway 3) to connect with the Alaska Highway in Haines Junction, Yukon.<br />
<br />
Haines is also a stop on the Alaska Marine Highway System with ferries arriving from Skagway and Juneau.
    Fort Seward in Fall.jpg
  • The stately historic officer's row buildings of the former U.S. Army post, Fort William H. Seward in Haines, Alaska are easily spotted by travelers on the Lynn Canal. Now, part of the original skyline has been restored with the completion of the restoration of the fort’s fire hall and tower (right). <br />
<br />
After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward.jpg
  • Passengers on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry M/V LeConte enjoy the solarium on the top deck of the ship as it travels in the Icy Strait near Hoonah, Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway System ships are a vital mode of transportation for residents and tourists in southeast Alaska.
    LeConte top deck passengers.jpg
  • A sailing yacht travels near Tlingit Point in the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park. The Beartrack Mountains are in the background. Boats of all sizes need to be aware of changing restrictions and closures of different park areas due to visiting whales, pupping and nursing harbor seal sites, nesting birds, and other wildlife needs.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Sailing yacht.jpg
  • The brass ship's bell of the M/V LeConte is positioned at the bow of the ferry. The LeConte is a ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway system. It often travels the northern Lynn Canal route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
    LeConte ship's bell.jpg
  • The shadow of a DeHaviland DHC-2 Beaver travels perfectly down the runway at the Haines Airport in southeast Alaska. The plane, belonging to Haines-based Mountain Flying Service was taking off for a flightseeing tour to nearby Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
    Shadow of plane taking off.jpg
  • A killer whale or orca (Orcinus orca), travels down the Lynn Canal under the shadow of Nun Mountain at sunset. Nun Mountain is near Juneau in southeast Alaska. <br />
<br />
Orcas are an apex species. Their prey depends on if they are local or transient. Local orcas feed primarily on salmon. While transient orcas feed on small marine mammals such as sea lions, seals, porpoises, and the calves of whales.
    Orca near Nun Mountain.jpg
  • Neatly braided ropes are stored on the deck of the M/V LeConte. The LeConte is a ferry in the Alaska Marine Highway system. It often travels the northern Lynn Canal route between Juneau, Haines and Skagway.
    Braided rope on LeConte dec.jpg
  • A Golden crayfish travels in Rocky Creek at Klepzig Mill in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Eminence Mo. Crayfish are in important species in the Ozarks region. As omnivores and scavengers they eat dead animals or plants helping keep rivers and creek clean. Twenty-six species of crayfish can be found in southern Missouri.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Golden crayfish.jpg
  • Among the major highways that connect Los Angeles to the rest of the nation is U.S. Route 101, which travels the California, Oregon and Washington coasts for 1,550 miles. This image of the highway and downtown Los Angeles was taken from the Jerome C. Daniel Overlook.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles, located on the Pacific Ocean in southern California, is the second-most populous city in the United States. It is the regions business and cultural center, most famously known for the entertainment, television, and motion picture industries.
    U.S. Route 101 Los Angeles.jpg
  • A Golden crayfish travels in Rocky Creek at Klepzig Mill in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways near Eminence Mo. Crayfish are in important species in the Ozarks region. As omnivores and scavengers they eat dead animals or plants helping keep rivers and creek clean. Twenty-six species of crayfish can be found in southern Missouri.<br />
<br />
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways was established in 1964, making it America's first national park area to protect a wild river system. The Ozark National Scenic Riverways is known for its caves, springs, sinkholes and losing streams. Visitors can enjoy water activities, such as floating, canoeing, tubing, swimming and fishing. Additionally there are opportunities for hiking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing. Over 130 miles of waterways and 300 identified caves exist within the park.
    Golden crayfish, Ozark National Scen...jpg
  • Among the major highways that connect Los Angeles to the rest of the nation is U.S. Route 101, which travels the California, Oregon and Washington coasts for 1,550 miles. This image of the highway and downtown Los Angeles was taken from the Jerome C. Daniel Overlook.<br />
<br />
Los Angeles, located on the Pacific Ocean in southern California, is the second-most populous city in the United States. It is the regions business and cultural center, most famously known for the entertainment, television, and motion picture industries.
    U.S. Route 101 Los Angeles-2.jpg
  • The retreating McBride Glacier, located just off the Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska, is the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet. McBride Glacier is approximately 1⁄2 mile wide and 14 miles long. Its ice face is approximately 200 feet high above the water and extends about 270 feet below it. This aerial photo, shot after an early November snow storm, shows Icebergs from the calving glacier traveling down the McBride Glacier inlet to the main Muir Inlet (background). The mountain ridge (center right) is McConnell Ridge. Ridge to the left is of McBride Inlet is Van Horn Ridge.
    McBride Glacier aerial 2.jpg
  • Only humpback whales engage in this social foraging behavior. Not all humpback whales practice this type of group feeding. One whale in the group of whales blows a curtain of bubbles to contain schools of small fish (typically Pacific herring). The whales then rush up to the surface below the encircled fish and capture the fish in their huge mouths which can be unhinged. These whales were photographed from the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry m/v LeConte near Couverden Point while traveling from Juneau to Gustavus, Alaska in the Lynn Canal.
    Whales bubble net feeding.jpg
  • The retreating McBride Glacier, located just off the Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska, is the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet. McBride Glacier is approximately 1⁄2 mile wide and 14 miles long. Its ice face is approximately 200 feet high above the water and extends about 270 feet below it. This aerial photo, shot after an early November snow storm, shows Icebergs from the calving glacier traveling down the McBride Glacier inlet to the main Muir Inlet. The mountain ridge at left foreground is McConnell Ridge.
    McBride Glacier aerial.jpg
  • The Holland American Line cruise ship Amsterdam overlooks downtown Juneau in southeast Alaska. Cruise ships traveling the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska often make a port call in Juneau, the state capital of Alaska.
    Amsterdam in dock in Juneau.jpg
  • A prescribed burning of prairie at the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas travels down a hillside during "Flames in the Flint Hills." This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Night prescribed burn of prairie.jpg
  • A full moon rises above Mount Ernest Gruering and the Herbert Glacier near Juneau, Alaska as the final rays of the sun at sunset baths mountain tops in alpenglow light. The view is from the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry FVF Fairweather as it traveled down the Lynn Canal from Haines.
    Moonrise over Herbert Glacier-2.jpg
  • An upland sandpiper rests on a fence post along a country road in the Flint Hills of Kansas east of the town of Cassoday in Butler County Kansas. The upland sandpiper is not associated with water like other sandpipers instead it nests and feeds on the prairie. The bird travels long distances, wintering in the pampas (prairies) of Argentina.
    Upland sandpiper.jpg
  • The final rays of the sun at sunset baths mountain tops in light as an Alaska Marine Highway System ferry travels down the Chilkoot Inlet of the Lynn Canal in this photo taken just outside Haines, Alaska.
    Alaska ferry and mountain sunset.jpg
  • A full moon rises above Mount Ernest Gruering and the Herbert Glacier near Juneau, Alaska as the final rays of the sun at sunset baths mountain tops in alpenglow light. The view is from the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry FVF Fairweather as it traveled down the Lynn Canal from Haines.
    Moonrise over Herbert Glacier.jpg
  • The retreating McBride Glacier, located just off the Muir Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska, is the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet. McBride Glacier is approximately 1⁄2 mile wide and 14 miles long. Its ice face is approximately 200 feet high above the water and extends about 270 feet below it. This aerial photo, shot after an early November snow storm, shows Icebergs from the calving glacier traveling down the McBride Glacier inlet to the main Muir Inlet. The mountain ridge in the center is McConnell Ridge.
    McBride Glacier, icebergs aerial.jpg
  • Late afternoon sunlight bathes the rolling hills of the nearly 11,000 acre Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of Kansas in Chase County near the towns of Strong City and Cottonwood Falls. Pictured is the main road as it travels through the Windmill Pasture. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit of the National Park Service dedicated to the preservation of the tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is co-managed with The Nature Conservancy.
    main road.jpg
  • Early morning fog covers the prairie in Chase County in Kansas near the Schrumpf Hill Overlook along Kansas State Highway 177. The highway, a National Scenic Byway travels through the Flint Hills in Kansas. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Prairie foggy morning.jpg
  • A prescribed burning of prairie at the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas travels rapidly down a hillside during "Flames in the Flint Hills." This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Night prescribed burn of prairie-4.jpg
  • The Thorofare River travels past the terminus of the 34-mile Muldrow Glacier near the Thorofare ranger cabin in Denali National Park in Alaska. The glacier has accumulated rocks and dirt in its journey down from the mountains. This moraine material, along with vegetation growing on top, hides the ice under the surface.
    Muldrow glacier.jpg
  • A hiker hikes next to the Thorofare River as it travels past the terminus of the 34-mile Muldrow Glacier near the Thorofare ranger cabin in Denali National Park in Alaska. The glacier has accumulated rocks and dirt in its journey down from the mountains. This moraine material, along with vegetation growing on top, hides the ice under the surface.
    Muldrow glacier and Thorofare River-...jpg
  • A prescribed burning of prairie at the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas travels down a hillside during "Flames in the Flint Hills." This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Night prescribed burn of prairie-2.jpg
  • A prescribed burning of prairie at the Flying W Ranch near Clements, Kansas travels down a hillside during "Flames in the Flint Hills." This agritourism event allows ranch guests to take part in lighting the prescribed burns. Prairie grasses in the Kansas Flint Hills are intentionally burned by land mangers and cattle ranchers in the spring to prepare the land for cattle grazing and help maintain a healthy tallgrass prairie ecosystem. The burning is also an effective way of controlling invasive plants and trees. The prairie grassland is burned when the soil is moist but grasses are dry. This allows the deep roots of the grasses to survive and the burned grasses on the soil surface return as nutrients to the soil. These nutrients allow for the rapid growth of new grass. After approximately two weeks of burning, new grass emerges. Less than four percent of the original 140 million acres of tallgrass prairie remains in North America. Most of the remaining tallgrass prairie is in the Flint Hills in Kansas.
    Night prescribed burn of prairie-2.jpg
  • The Thorofare River travels past the terminus of the 34-mile Muldrow Glacier near the Thorofare ranger cabin in Denali National Park in Alaska. The glacier has accumulated rocks and dirt in its journey down from the mountains. This moraine material, along with vegetation growing on top, hides the ice under the surface.
    Muldrow glacier and Thorofare River.jpg
  • Part of a group of approximately 80 caribou traveling near Polychrome Pass in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. Unlike other caribou herds in Alaska, the Denali is considered non-migratory. The herd does however still move within various types of areas of the park based on the season in the year. Unlike the giant herds seen elsewhere in Alaska, the Denali herd consists of approximately 2,000 caribou. Caribou and reindeer are the same species with reindeer being a European subspecies.
    Caribou herd.jpg
  • A kayaker kayaks past a small iceberg floating in the Muir Inlet of Glacier Bay National Park. This piece of glacial ice is technically not an iceberg due to its small size. The size category for an iceberg is huge, with the height of the ice must be greater than 16 feet above sea level, a thickness of 98-164 feet, with a coverage area greater than 5,382 square feet. Next size down is bergy bits (height less than 16 feet above sea level but greater than three feet), then growlers (less than three feet above sea level - the size of a truck or grand piano), and then brash ice.<br />
<br />
The piece of ice is from the retreating McBride Glacier. Recent research determined that there is 11% less glacial ice in Glacier Bay than in the 1950s. Still, even with the earth’s rapidly changing climate, Glacier Bay is home to a few stable glaciers due to heavy snowfall in the nearby Fairweather Mountains. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Kayaker and iceberg.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view on the Painter Ridge Trail. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall colors on Painter Ridge Trail.jpg
  • A moss-covered boulder is lit by a sliver of sunlight along the 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake Trail.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Moss on boulder.jpg
  • Rain approaches Avalanche Lake as seen from the Avalanche Lake Trail in Glacier National Park in Montana. Avalanche Lake was named in 1895 by a party including Dr. Lyman Sperry, namesake of the Sperry Glacier, who witnessed many avalanches during their stay. The meltwater from Sperry Glacier feeds the lake. Along the cliff face Monument Falls can be seen cascading down the mountain in the background. Avalanche Lake is the destination of the 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake Trail.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Avalanche Lake.jpg
  • Little remains of the Tlingit village located in the area of the Chilkoot River now known as the Chilkoot River Corridor, between Chilkoot Lake and Lutak Inlet. In the 1860’s there were 30 houses on the west bank of the river, with additional houses on the east bank, near what is know known today as the Chilkoot Cultural Camp. Landslides and Western diseases took its toll on inhabitants. Only four tribal houses and nine smaller houses remained by 1895. <br />
<br />
In the 1950’s a road was constructed through the village to Chilkoot Lake. Today the area is known as the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Area. <br />
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This image is of a tombstone in a cemetery near the cultural camp. Today, forest keeps this tombstone and others like it in this cemetery hidden. Another cemetery near the entrance to the the corridor is more visible. In 1971, Tlingit people were outraged when the Alaska Department of Transportation bulldozed a roadway that unearthed remains. That work included the dynamiting of a scared site known as Deer Rock.
    Chilkoot River cemetery tombstone.jpg
  • A fishing boat slowly makes its way through the fog in Auke Bay near Juneau, Alaska.
    Fishing boat in fog.jpg
  • Eagle Glacier as seen from Favorite Channel just outside Juneau.
    Eagle Glacier-2.jpg
  • Trees along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska.
    trees still-life.jpg
  • Fort William H. Seward, a Klondike Gold Rush-era military post in Haines, Alaska, was completed in 1904 to bring order to unruly gold seekers during the gold rush and provide a military presence in Alaska during the gold rush boundary disputes with Canada. The fort was decommissioned in 1945. In the background is the Chilkat River.
    Officers Row, Ft. Seward.jpg
  • A silhouetted kayaker glides across the calm waters surrounding the Beardslee Islands on a foggy day in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. In the background is Eider Island<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Silhouetted kayaker.jpg
  • Hungry Horse Dam is located on the South Fork Flathead River near Hungry Horse, Montana. The dam and power plant are operated by the U.S Bureau of Reclamation. Hydroelectric power and flood control are the main purposes of the dam. It’s reservoir is used for recreation. At the time of its completion in 1953, it was the third largest and second highest (564 feet tall) concrete dam in the world.
    Hungry Horse Dam.jpg
  • Rain approaches Avalanche Lake as seen from the Avalanche Lake Trail in Glacier National Park in Montana. Avalanche Lake was named in 1895 by a party including Dr. Lyman Sperry, namesake of the Sperry Glacier, who witnessed many avalanches during their stay. The meltwater from Sperry Glacier feeds the lake. Along the cliff face Monument Falls can be seen cascading down the mountain in the background. Avalanche Lake is the destination of the 4.5-mile roundtrip Avalanche Lake Trail.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.<br />
<br />
EDITORS NOTE: The image is a composite panorama image.
    Avalanche Lake-2.jpg
  • Avalanche Creek overflows onto the forest floor along the 4.5 mile roundtrip hike to Avalanche Lake.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Avalanche Creek-2.jpg
  • The Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park affords visitors entry to the magical world of a western red cedar / black cottonwood forest. In this photo, a black cottonwood tree (Populus balsamifera), foreground, is bathed in the dappled light of the forest. The fuzzy fruit of the tree float in the air during the spring and early summer creating the look of warm-season snow. They inhabit riparian areas including streams. <br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Black cottonwood.jpg
  • The centerpiece of the Lake McDonald Lodge lobby in Glacier National Park in Montana is its massive fireplace. Built to resemble a rustic hunting lodge with Swiss-influenced architecture, the lobby’s open space extends to the third floor. The lobby’s hanging lanterns are reproductions of original work made by Kanai craftsmen for the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada, which had been moved to Lake McDonald in the 1960s. <br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road which allowed automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Lake McDonald Lodge-2.jpg
  • The centerpiece of the Lake McDonald Lodge lobby in Glacier National Park in Montana is its massive fireplace. Built to resemble a rustic hunting lodge with Swiss-influenced architecture, the lobby’s open space extends to the third floor. The lobby’s hanging lanterns are reproductions of original work made by Kanai craftsmen for the Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada, which had been moved to Lake McDonald in the 1960s. <br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road which allowed automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Lake McDonald Lodge.jpg
  • Boulders from a landslide sprawl across a glacier that descends from Coleman Peak in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This glacier eventually joins the McBride Glacier.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Landslide near Coleman Peak.jpg
  • A glacier descends from Coleman Peak in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve to eventually join the McBride Glacier. Note the landslide in upper reaches of the glaicer.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Glacier near Coleman Peak.jpg
  • Haines Brewing Company owners Paul Wheeler and Jeanne Kitayama recently moved their tasking room to Main St. (pictured) in Haines, Alaska. Their craft beers are revered by southeast Alaska locals and tourists alike.
    Haines Brewing Company.jpg
  • Glaciers flow from Mount Bertha (upper left) and Mount Crillon (upper right) to form the upper portion of Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Johns Hopkins Glacier.jpg
  • Two large glaciers come together to form the main flow of the McBride Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The dark lines of rock debris are called medial moraines. A medial moraine is formed when two glaciers meet and the debris on the edges of the adjacent valley sides join and are carried on top of the glacier. <br />
<br />
The McBride Glacier, the most active glacier and only tidewater glacier in the Muir Inlet, is retreating.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. Known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall costal mountains, the park is also an important marine wilderness area. The park a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Medial moraines, McBride Glacier.jpg
  • Clouds swirl around unnamed mountain peaks near Sinclair Mountain in the Kakuhan Range bask in this view seen from Picture Point in Haines, Alaska.
    Clouds and Kakuhan Range mountain pe...jpg
  • Fishing boats slowly make their way through the fog in Auke Bay near Juneau, Alaska.
    Fishing boats in fog.jpg
  • This aerial photograph of a portion of the "Council Grounds" is the primary area where bald eagles gather on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku (center) and Chilkat (upper left to right) Rivers because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and open waters in late fall and early winter. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping a five mile stretch of the river from freezing. Photographers come to the Chilkat River in November and December to photograph one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. In the background are the mountains that make of the Takshanuk Mountains. Chilkat Lake is pictured in the foreground. River on the left above the Tsirku River is the Klehini River which joins the Chilkat River right before the Tsirku River alluvial fan. Also pictured is Klutshah Mountain (top center), Iron Mountain and the village of Klukwan (in front of the left side of the alluvial fan).
    Tsirku River alluvial fan with Chilk...jpg
  • The conflict over putting in a hard-rock mine near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska took a new turn recently with the filing of a lawsuit by an Alaska Native Tlingit tribe and three environmental groups. The group is suing the Bureau of Land Management, saying that the agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect the Chilkat River's salmon and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.<br />
<br />
Constantine Metal Resources and investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan are exploring a potential site for a mine on the steep mountain slopes pictured above Glacier Creek. This area is known as the Palmer Deposit.<br />
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Joining the Tlingit village of Klukwan in the lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management are the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Lynn Canal Conservation and Rivers Without Borders. They are represented by Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm. The group is asking for mining permits to be revoked.<br />
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In August 2015, Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia submitted a plan with the BLM to extend their existing access road by 2.5 miles including a switchback road leading to a staging area at the 800 ft. level on the side of the 1,700 ft. mountainside. A proposed bridge crossing Glacier Creek would be located in the shadow area in the lower center of the photo with a switchback road leading from the Glacier Creek to the staging area for helicopter and ground-supported activities on the left. The road would also provide access for up to 40 new exploration drill sites. Pictured in the background is the Klehini River. A map showing exactly how this road would appear can be found here: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/54990/65845/71485/Figure_6.4_accessible.pdf<br />
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The group suing is concerned that copper and other heavy metals in mine waste might leech into the nearby Klehini River and the Chilkat River, 14 miles downstream.
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial -2.jpg
  • The conflict over putting in a hard-rock mine near the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska took a new turn recently with the filing of a lawsuit by an Alaska Native Tlingit tribe and three environmental groups. The group is suing the Bureau of Land Management, saying that the agency granted mineral exploration permits without considering how a mine could affect the Chilkat River's salmon and the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. <br />
<br />
Constantine Metal Resources Ltd. of Vancouver, British Columbia along with investment partner Dowa Metals & Mining Co., Ltd. of Japan is exploring a potential site for a mine (located on the upper left side of image) just above Glacier Creek (foreground) and the Klehini River (right side of image). The border with British Columbia is at the upper right. The area above Glacier Greek, known as the Palmer Deposit is located near mile 40 of the Haines Highway.<br />
<br />
The minerals that Constantine’s drilling explorations have found are primarily copper and zinc, with significant amounts of gold and silver.<br />
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Support for a large scale mine such as the Constantine project is divided among residents of Haines, a small community in Southeast Alaska 75 miles northwest of Juneau. The community’s needed economic boost from jobs, development and other mine support that a large-scale mine brings is tempting to some. To others, anything that might put the salmon spawning and rearing habitat and watershed resources at risk is simply unimaginable and unacceptable. Of particular concern is copper and other heavy metals in mine waste leaching into the Klehini River (shown) and the Chilkat River 14 miles downstream. Copper and heavy metals are toxic to salmon and bald eagles.<br />
<br />
The Chilkat River chum salmon are the primary food source for one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world. Each fall, bald eagles congregate in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, located only three miles downriver from the area of current exploration
    Constantine Palmer Deposit aerial.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-5.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall (right). That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-4.jpg
  • After being absent from the historic Fort Seward skyline since approximately the 1930s, the 60-foot tower of the fort’s fire hall has been restored to its original height. The building and tower, built around 1904 in Haines, Alaska, was shortened to approximately half its height in the 1930s for unknown reasons. The restoration included rebuilding a missing 35-foot section of the 60-foot tower whose purpose was to dry fire hoses. The tower restoration was completed by building its four sections on the ground and then hoisting those sections with a crane into place on top of each other.<br />
<br />
Through the years, the historic Fort Seward area, a former U.S. Army post, has been referred to as Fort William H. Seward, Chilkoot Barracks, and Port Chilkoot. The National Historic Landmarks listing record for the fort says that "Fort Seward was the last of 11 military posts established in Alaska during the territory's gold rushes between 1897 and 1904. Founded for the purpose of preserving law and order among the gold seekers, the fort also provided a U.S. military presence in Alaska during boundary disputes with Canada. The only active military post in Alaska between 1925 and 1940, the fort was closed at the end of World War II.” <br />
<br />
The bottom portion of the fire hall is being leased as commercial space. Due to fire code restrictions there is no public access to the upper portion of the tower. <br />
<br />
The fire hall was restored over a two-year period by owners Joanne Waterman and Phyllis Sage who also own the fort’s original guardhouse located next door to the fire hall. That building, now known as the Alaska Guardhouse, is a bed and breakfast.
    Fort Seward fire hall-3.jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Sinclair Mountain and other mountains in the Kakuhan Range at Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen.
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • Moss covers the forest floor along the Trail of Time Trail near the Mendenhall Lake and Mendhenall Visitor Center just outside Juneau, Alaska.
    Moss along Trail of Time Trail.jpg
  • Passengers on the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry M/V LeConte sleep in the solarium on the top deck of the ship, missing the spectacular views on the Lynn Canal. The Alaska Marine Highway System ships are a vital mode of transportation for residents and tourists in southeast Alaska.
    Sleeping LeConte passengers.jpg
  • Mount Golub, a 4194 foot peak in the Chilkat Range as seen from the Favorite Channel near Juneau, Alaska.
    Mount Golub.jpg
  • A humpback whales blows out air as it breathes in Favorite Channel near Juneau in southeast Alaska. The "blow" or spray is partially caused by water resting on top of the whale's blowholes (nostrils). A humpback whale has two blow holes, whereas some other species of whales only have one.
    Humpback whale blows.jpg
  • Humpback whales blow out air as they breathe in Favorite Channel near Juneau in southeast Alaska. The "blow" or spray is partially caused by water resting on top of the whale's blowholes (nostrils). A humpback whale has two blow holes, whereas some other species of whales only have one.
    Humpback whales blow.jpg
  • Eagle Glacier looms over the light station (lighthouse) at Point Retreat, near Juneau, Alaska.
    Eagle Glacier.jpg
  • Sentinel Island Light is situated on the north end of Sentinel Island on the Favorite Channel near Juneau, Alaska. The original 1902-built light (not pictured) was replaced in 1935 with the current concrete, art deco-style building (pictured).<br />
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In 2004, official ownership of the Sentinel Island Lighthouse was transferred to the Gastineau Channel Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act.
    Sentinel Island Light.jpg
  • Silversea Silver Muse, a 596 cruise ship, is docked at the Port Chilkoot Dock in the Haines, Alaska harbor. The cruise ship industry is a significant contributor to the Southeast Alaska economy.
    Silversea Silver Muse.jpg
  • Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) along the Chilkoot Indian Association Trail in Haines, Alaska. Common horsetail is a fern. Moose, caribou, sheep and bears eat this plant.
    Common horsetail.jpg
  • Fort William H. Seward, a Klondike Gold Rush-era military post in Haines, Alaska, was completed in 1904 to bring order to unruly gold seekers during the gold rush and provide a military presence in Alaska during the gold rush boundary disputes with Canada. The fort was decommissioned in 1945. In the background is the Chilkat River.
    Officers Row, Ft. Seward-2.jpg
  • Unnamed peaks (left) in the Tongass National Forest rise above Yeldagalga Creek next to the edge of Sinclair Mountain (right) as seen from the Lynn Canal near Haines, Alaska.
    Peaks next to Sinclair Mountain.jpg
  • Davidson Glacier is framed by Talsani Island and the tip of the Chilkat Peninsula, in this view from the Lynn Canal near Haines, Alaska.
    Davidson Glacier.jpg
  • Panorama of Haines, Alaska townsite area (center), including the Lynn Canal (right), Mount Villard (right). Mount Ripinski (center) and the Chilkat River (left). EDITOR’S NOTE: The image is a panoramic composite made up of several overlapping images.
    Haines, Lynn Canal panorama.jpg
  • The main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is vast, stretching 69 miles from its mouth to the furthest extent. It is hard to imagine that the area pictured (a small portion of the bay) was a single large glacier of solid ice only a little over 200 years ago. In the mid-1700s, this view (and quite a bit beyond) would have been covered by a glacier nearly a mile in thickness. Since then, the massive glacier that filled the bay has retreated 69 miles to the heads of various inlets. <br />
<br />
Recent research determined that there is 11% less glacial ice in Glacier Bay  than in the 1950s. Still, even with the earth’s rapidly changing climate, Glacier Bay is home to a few stable glaciers due to heavy snowfall in the nearby Fairweather Mountains. <br />
<br />
The pictured view is of the Beartrack Mountains looking from Tlingit Point on the left to North Marble Island and South Marble Island on the far right.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.<br />
<br />
EDITOR’S NOTE: The image is a panoramic composite of several overlapping images.
    Beartrack Mountains panorama.jpg
  • A grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) disturbs glaucous-winged gulls (Lars glaucescens) on a beach near an unnamed stream next to Tlingit Point in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Grizzly bears can be found in every part of Glacier Bay. It is common to see bear activity of bears along the park’s 1,100 miles of coastline. Bear-resistant food canisters (BFRC) are required to store food for backcountry campers. The use of BRFCs has greatly reduced human-bear incidents in the park. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Grizzly bear with gulls.jpg
  • A kayaker kayaks past a small iceberg floating in the Muir Inlet of Glacier Bay National Park. This piece of glacial ice is technically not an iceberg due to its small size. The size category for an iceberg is huge, with the height of the ice must be greater than 16 feet above sea level, a thickness of 98-164 feet, with a coverage area greater than 5,382 square feet. Next size down is bergy bits (height less than 16 feet above sea level but greater than three feet), then growlers (less than three feet above sea level - the size of a truck or grand piano), and then brash ice.<br />
<br />
The piece of ice is from the retreating McBride Glacier. Recent research determined that there is 11% less glacial ice in Glacier Bay than in the 1950s. Still, even with the earth’s rapidly changing climate, Glacier Bay is home to a few stable glaciers due to heavy snowfall in the nearby Fairweather Mountains. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales, which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
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The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Kayaker and iceberg-2.jpg
  • A flock of surf scoters in the East Arm of Glacier Bay in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska float on the ocean. In the background are  Point George, Mount Case, and Mount Wright.<br />
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According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab, “surf scoters are “molt migrants,” meaning that after nesting, adults fly to an area where they can molt their flight feathers. They briefly become flightless before continuing to their wintering range, and molting areas provide some protection from weather and predators." These spots include the sheltered waters of Southeast Alaska.<br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Surf scoters.jpg
  • A kayaker silently glides across the calm waters surrounding the Beardslee Islands on a foggy day in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.<br />
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Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park a popular destination for cruise ships is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Kayaker in fog.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view on the Painter Ridge Trail. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
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Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
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Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
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Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall colors on Painter Ridge Trail-2.jpg
  • Christmas ferns poke through the forest leaf litter in Echo Bluff State Park on the Painter Ridge Trail. Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) is one of the most common ferns in Missouri forests. Its leaves are evergreen, and pioneers used it for making Christmas wreaths.<br />
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In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Christmas fern.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view from the Painter Ridge Trail near the Bluff Top Pavilion. In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Fall leaves.jpg
  • Fall colors are on display at Echo Bluff State Park in this view from the Painter Ridge Trail near the Bluff Top Pavilion. The park’s namesake, Echo Bluff (upper right) overlooks Sinking Creek. Sinking Creek which flows through Echo Bluff State Park is the second-largest tributary to the nearby Current River which is part of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. <br />
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In addition to hiking, the Painter Ridge Trail is also popular with mountain bikers with several mountain-bike-specific side trails containing curvy boardwalks and jumps. <br />
<br />
Opening to the public in 2016 Echo Bluff is one of the state's newer parks. Echo Bluff State Park, located in Shannon County occupies the site of the former Camp Zoe. This summer camp for children operated for more than 85 years.<br />
<br />
Echo Bluff State Park is a popular hiking, mountain biking, floating, swimming, and fishing destination. A herd of wild horses can sometimes be seen in the area of the park. There are lodge rooms and full-service cabins available along with primitive to full-service campsites.
    Echo Bluff and Sinking Creek-2.jpg
  • A giant western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) stands along the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park. The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall, and diameters of four to seven feet with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.<br />
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Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Western Red Cedar-2.jpg
  • The Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park affords visitors entry to the magical world of a 500-year-old western red cedar / black cottonwood forest.<br />
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The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall, and diameters of four to seven feet with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Trail of the Cedars.jpg
  • Twigs and small branches litter the forest floor under a giant western red cedar tree (Thuja plicata) along the Trail of the Cedars, a wheelchair-accessible trail, in Glacier National Park. The humidity of the Lake McDonald Valley enables the cedars to grow in size of 100 feet tall, and diameters of four to seven feet with many of the trees being more than 500 years old. The western red cedar is one of the most widespread trees in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from southern Alaska to northern California. This grove in Glacier National Park is near the eastern terminus of the western red cedar range.<br />
<br />
Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Western Red Cedar.jpg
  • Pictured are remnants of the 2018 Howe Ridge wildfire in Glacier National Park in Montana. The fire, started by a thunderstorm, resulted in the mandatory evacuation of private cabins and federally owned properties, including the Lake McDonald Lodge complex. The fire eventually burned 12,435 acres. This image was taken along a trail along McDonald Creek.<br />
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Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Forest fire damage.jpg
  • Lake McDonald is the largest of the glacially carved lakes in Glacier National Park in Montana. Lake McDonald is ten miles long and 472 feet deep. While the lake has numerous species of fish, the fishing is considered poor due to the lack of nutrients in the lake.  Western red cedar and hemlock are found in the lake’s valley.<br />
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Glacier National Park in the Rocky Mountains of Montana encompasses more than 1 million acres. The park’s nickname is the “Crown of the Continent Ecosystem.” The park was established in May 1910. Soon after, hotels and chalets were established in the park, including the Lake McDonald Lodge. In 1932 construction began on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, allowing automobiles to traverse the park. Climate change is affecting the park. As of 2010, only 25 active glaciers remain in the park, down from the 150 that existed in the mid-19th century.
    Lake McDonald.jpg
  • A spectacular display of the Aurora Borealis or as it is commonly called, the northern lights, occurred the evening of November 8 through the early morning of November 9, 2013 over Sinclair Mountain and other mountains in the Kakuhan Range at Haines, Alaska. The luminous glow in the upper atmosphere stretched across the skies above the Lynn Canal from Skagway to Juneau. The bottom edge of an aurora is typically 60 miles high with the top edge at an altitude of 120 to 200 miles, though sometimes high altitude aurora can be as high as 350 miles. The collision of sun storm electrons and protons with different types of gas particles in Earth’s atmosphere cause the different colors. Green, the most common color, is caused by the collision of electrons with atoms of with atomic oxygen. *** EDITORS NOTE: Blue rocks are result of use of tungsten white balance at time of image capture. Boulders in foreground were lit with a flashlight during time exposure***
    Aurora Borealis over Haines, Alaska-...jpg
  • A meadow of tall fireweed booms in Brotherhood Bridge Park in Juneau, Alaska. In the background is the Mendenhall Glacier, one of the most accessible glaciers in southeast Alaska. Each year, 465,000 curise ship passengers visit the Mendenhall Glacier.
    Tall fireweed and Mendenhall Glacier.jpg
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