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A new report shows that visitors to national parks spent a record amount in surrounding communities last year, providing a major economic boost to those areas.

The National Park Service released visitation statistics this week showing that five of the top 15 most-visited parks in 2022 are in the Mountain West. Big crowds can put pressure on national parks, though.

The National Park Service is behind on studying 28 potential sites to add to its system. Two of them are in the Mountain West.

The process of getting Amache under the National Park Service umbrella involved years of effort. It means more funding for preservation in the short term. But no matter who administers the site, everyone involved hopes the survivors – and their stories – stay front and center.