"What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the Midwest was heading into one of the worst droughts in decades. Now much of the region is soggy. But the biggest loser from this year's heavy rains? The land itself."

"The area of ocean set aside as a nature preserve could double or triple in the coming days, depending on the outcome of a meeting in Germany. Representatives from 24 countries and the European Union are considering setting aside large portions of ocean around Antarctica as a protected area. And the deal may hinge on preserving some fishing rights."

Mining of a newly discovered rare earth element near the remote Alaskan town of Hydaburg jeopardizes the fishery which is its economic mainstay.

"Hours before Americans celebrated their nation's birthday by reveling in fireworks, one of its most iconic symbols -- Lady Liberty -- reopened to the huddled masses eager to see it up close."

"In the United States, everyone becomes a chef on the Fourth of July."

"LAWRENCE, Kansas -- Monica Haverkamp is ready to heap praise on the upkeep and cleanliness of Clinton State Park. Until she’s asked about the beach."

"Dismantling of the silt-filled San Clemente, to start next month, is being called California's largest-ever dam removal."

"The surprise defeat of the farm bill in the House on Thursday underscored the ideological divide between the more conservative, antispending Republican lawmakers and their leadership, who failed to garner sufficient votes from their caucus as well as from Democrats."

"Haze from fires in Indonesia blanketing Singapore could persist for weeks or longer, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday, as the smoke drove air quality to "hazardous" levels and disrupted business and travel in the region."

"As the Environmental Protection Agency seeks public comment on how to gauge the environmental impact of a proposed gold and copper mine in the Bristol Bay watershed, hundreds of thousands of Americans have weighed in on one side or another."

"Are pro-mining forces trying to sway the Environmental Protection Agency on Pebble Mine?"

"The latest domestic energy boom is sweeping through some of the nation's driest pockets, drawing millions of gallons of water to unlock oil and gas reserves from beneath the Earth's surface."

"Minneapolis, where 94% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park, has the U.S.' best park system, according to new rankings by a national non-profit conservation group."

"WASHINGTON, DC -- Federal officials [Friday] designated 28 trails as national recreation trails, adding roughly 650 miles of trails in 18 states to the National Trails System."

"A dispute over a proposed copper and gold mine near Alaska’s Bristol Bay may be one of the most important environmental decisions of President Obama’s second term — yet few are even aware that the fight is happening."