Discusses how units are added through legislation by Congress or proclamation by the President.  Also discusses how areas are considered for inclusion and the controversies that can arise. From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Tells the story of baseball through documents, photographs, audio, video, and other records preserved at the National Archives.  For iPhone, Android, Nook, SONY reader and  other devices.  iPad version also available. From the National Archives and Records Administration

Press release with information about Federal Aviation Administration decision to close down 149 federal contract control towers at small regional airports due to the budget sequester.  Includes links to lists of contracted towers to be closed  and those to remain open.  From the Federal Aviation Administration

Charts and statistics on recent economic trends in the Hampton Roads region and the short term outlook for the local economy.     From the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission

http://www.fs.fed.us/research/publications/gtr/gtr_wo87.pdf

Summarizes findings and management challenges about the status, trends, and projected 50 year future of forests, rangelands, wildlife and fish, biodiversity, water, outdoor recreation, wilderness and urban forests, as well as the effects of climate change upon these resources.  From the Forest Service

Latest in a series of five year reports on outdoors recreation, such as fishing, hunting, and wildlife w atching, the number of participants, and the economic impact.  Reports that nearly 38% of Americans participated in wildlife-related recreation in 2011, an increase of 2.6 million participants from the 2006 survey.    From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Census Bureau

Press release on wildlife-related recreation with links to detailed survey results.  From the Census Bureau

Tracks declines in consumer spending for travel during the recession of 2008-2009 and compares travel expenditures with other spending.  Also breaks down travel expenditures by categories.  From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Plan a fall drive to see leaves and wildflowers at their peak.  Learn more about what causes the autumn color show.  From the Forest Service

Describes the evolution of bike sharing programs in the U.S. and how to plan and implement such a program in a local community.  From the Federal Highway Administration

The purpose of this survey is to determine the transportation challenges facing local military personnel during their daily commutes in Hampton Roads.  From the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

Statistics on holiday tourism by European country .  From Eurostat

The major annual compilation of data on the Hampton Roads region.  Includes sections on population, income/earnings, employment, labor force, retail sales, real estate, tourism, ports, transportation, tax collections, and quality of life.  From the Hampton Roads Plan District Commission

Looks at recreation use in Virginia and the popular sites to determine state and local recreational needs.  Also covers demographic characteristics of recreation participants.  From the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia

Analyzes ten high profile choke points in Hampton Roads for length of duration, level of traffic congestion, and total delays (in terms of vehicle hours) during morning and afternoon peak travel periods.  From the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

This report improves our understanding of the farm and farmer characteristics that may influence farm operator involvement in rural development-related activities, by focusing on five activities: organic farming, value-added agriculture, direct marketing, agritourism, and energy/electricity production.

From the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

Discusses the travel policy related to presidential travel, the distinction between official and unofficial travel, and the question of who pays and how much.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

The main purpose of this survey is to assess Virginians’ attitudes about outdoor recreation resources, estimate participation in and demand for a wide variety of recreational activities, and offer citizen input into the 2012 Virginia Outdoors Plan.  Respondents asked for more trails for hiking; more public access to state waters for fishing, swimming, and beach use; and more access to natural areas.  From the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation

The U.S. received 62 million visitors from other countries in 2011, a record number which exceeded by 2.5 million the number from 2010.  Provides data on trends of visits from 2003 to date and trends of visitors from leading countries.  From the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between environmental attitudes and environmentally-responsible behavior at both general and activity-specific levels using a survey of people who used motorized all-terrain and off-road vehicles.  From an academic study sponsored by the Forest Service

Explores past policy toward Cuba which featured economic sanctions against the state but support for human rights activists, recent trends toward easing travel restrictions by the Obama administration, and leading issues in current U.S.-Cuban relations.  From the Congressional Research Service, posted by the Federation of American Scientists

Offers comparative U.S. and Hampton Roads statistics on the tourism economy.  From the Hampton Roads Regional Plan District Commission

Summarizes two conservation project initiatives in each state that are related to three broad goals: creating and enhancing urban parks, renewing and restoring rivers, and conserving rural landscapes.  The Virginia projects are Fort Monroe National Historical Park and Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.  From the Interior Department

The purpose of this report is to estimate the annual economic contributions from five focus areas in the National Fisheries Program Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2004-2008.  From the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Presidential proclamation which creates Fort Monroe National Monument and places it under the control of the Secretary of the Army and the National Park Service.   From the White House

Reports that annual visits to Emergency Departments for treatment of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries increased from 153,375 in 2001 to 248,418 in 2009.  The highest rates were for males aged 10-19 who were injured in sports and recreation activities.  From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Examines tourism in Kashmir as a vehicle for promoting peace and security between India and Kashmir.

From the United States Institute of Peace

Includes the average amount of time per day in 2010 that individuals worked, did household activities, and engaged in leisure and sports activities.   From the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Reports a 0.5% decrease in roadway travel in Hampton Roads in 2010 based on data collected at 50 locations.  Also offers graph of roadway travel in the metro area from 2000 to 2010.  From the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization

Provides estimates for all U.S. counties or county equivalents of leisure-time physical inactivity .  The highest rates of physical inactivity were reported in counties in Appalachia and the South.  From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention