John Muir

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tennis has moved out of the country club and turned into one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States as Americans looking for a cheap pastime in a bad economy have hit the courts.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tennis has moved out of the country club and turned into one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States as Americans looking for a cheap pastime in a bad economy have hit the courts.

Popular parks like Yosemite face overcrowding issues that would have amazed John Muir. Managers must balance open access with negative impacts on visitor experience and on park environments. Today's visitors also use parks in new ways. Snowmobilers prowl Yellowstone and pilots fly visitors over the Grand Canyon. Mountain bikers, motorboaters and many others all hope to enjoy their favorite pastimes in their favorite parks. Does allowing such activities enhance the park experience or detract from it? Managing preferences and park usage conflicts is a growing challenge for administrators?but NPS Chief of Public Affairs David Barna says the top priority is clear. "When we have to make a choice between recreation and preservation, we will always choose preservation," he says, "and our decision will be based on our mandate, policies, and good science."

Calif. bill would honor Reagan with special day, joining gay activist, conservationist. California is one step closer to establishing an annual day honoring Ronald Reagan, the former president, governor and actor.

Conservationist Edgar Wayburn, ex-Sierra Club president who won Medal of Freedom, dies at 103. Dr. Edgar Wayburn, a five-term Sierra Club president who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for working to preserve vast tracts of U.S. wilderness, has died. He was 103.

Protecting health data becomes more difficult in a socially networked world, but blocking access to these popular sites is being met with dissent, a panel of health care CISOs said Wednesday at the RSA Conference.. Protecting health data becomes more difficult in a socially networked world, but blocking access to these popular sites is being met with dissent, a panel of health care CISOs said Wednesday at the RSA Conference.The Visiting Nurse Service of New York (VNSNY), a provider of home health care and community-based health services to patients throughout New York, bans social networking sites, said Wayne Wright, senior information security specialist at the organization. ?We don't allow Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, or any social networking sites,? he said. There are some special cases, however, where human resources employees need to use social networking sites to screen candidates that are applying for positions, he said. Another panelist, Frank Waszmer, information security arch

New Sierra Club leader once told Home Depot patrons not to buy lumber from ancient forests. Environmental group Sierra Club has named its first new leader in 18 years ? an activist who once took over the intercom of a Home Depot to tell customers not to buy lumber from ancient forests.

New Calif. laws crack down on mortgage lenders, trans fats; honor slain gay rights activist. Hammered by a housing downturn that contributed to the state's budget crisis, California is boosting protections for home buyers and punishing brokers who mislead borrowers and steer them into costly loans.

Schwarzenegger creates special Calif. recognition day honoring gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk will get a special day of recognition in California, making him only the second person in state history ? in addition to conservationist John Muir ? to gain such a designation.

Settlement blocks Yosemite from continuing development, opens Merced River plans to public. Ending a lengthy legal battle with environmentalists, the federal government agreed Wednesday to halt all commercial development in Yosemite National Park's most popular stretch and to consider limiting access to its wilderness.

SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS, California (Reuters Life!) - Hiking through a trail-less wilderness where cell phones don't work and help is days away may not be everyone's idea of a great vacation.

Nature au naturel: Naked Hiking Day falls on Father's Day, and forest rangers are not pleased. Every year on the first day of summer, a few outdoor enthusiasts nationwide expose virtually all of themselves to insects, scrapes and thorns for the pleasure of bonding with nature au naturel.