At the turn of the 20th century, the American Chestnut tree was the most important plant in the eastern United States, accounting for over 25% of the forest canopy. But in a period of just 50 years, a mysterious blight, an imported fungus, swept the country and killed over four billion trees.

Join Jason Epperson for Parkography as we explore the rise and fall of the majestic American Chestnut and the incredible, ongoing effort to bring the species back. A major part of this mission is taking place on one of our nation’s most hallowed grounds: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Learn about the tree's vital role in the American landscape and economy, the devastating chestnut blight, and the pioneering "backcross" technique scientists and volunteers are using to plant blight-resistant seedlings in the memory of American heroes.

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This week on Parkography, we look at the Trump administration’s directive that’s leading to the removal of exhibits and signs about slavery, Native American displacement, labor history, and climate change at national parks across the country. We also examine new polling showing strong bipartisan opposition in Western states to the nominee to lead the Bureau of Land Management, and a lawsuit challenging new federal rules that limit public input on logging, drilling, and wildlife management projects in national forests.

We’ll also cover new policies making it easier to lease public lands for oil and gas development — even as recent federal lease sales in Colorado draw zero bids — and a major reorganization of federal wildfire programs with the launch of a new U.S. Wildland Fire Service.

On the ground, we’re tracking a record year for search and rescue at Yosemite, recent vandalism near Bridalveil Fall, illegal off-road driving that damaged rare desert plants at Death Valley’s Eureka Dunes, and adaptive reopening plans for the Grand Canyon’s North Rim after last year’s wildfire.

And we’ll end with some good news: a surprise dinosaur fossil discovery at Dinosaur National Monument and major restoration projects underway at memorials and fountains across Washington, D.C. ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.

Find the Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography

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The video on explaining passes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBfqPOoEu4w&t=357s

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00:00 Intro 01:10 Exhibits Removed From National Parks 06:31 Controversial Nominee for Bureau of Land Management 08:43 Lawsuit Against New Federal Rules on Public Lands 10:24 Expanding Oil and Gas Development in National Forests 12:20 Unified US Wildland Fire Service 13:26 Updates on National Park Service Sites 16:55 Dinosaur Fossils and Restoration Projects 18:09 Conclusion and Farewell

When Toni Henthorn fell to her death during an anniversary hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, it was first reported as a tragic accident in rugged terrain. But almost immediately, park rangers noticed that the scene didn’t match the story. The location was far from the trail, the drop was steeper than described, and photographs taken just minutes before the fall raised troubling questions.

As investigators began to dig deeper, they uncovered another death years earlier — one that had also been ruled an accident, and that now looked disturbingly similar. What followed was a long and complex investigation that would ultimately lead to a murder conviction and expose how a carefully planned crime unfolded in one of America’s most visited national parks.

In this episode of Parkography, we examine the evidence, the investigation, and the critical role that park rangers and forensic analysis played in uncovering the truth behind a case that shocked both the National Park Service and the public.

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Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography