KURT REPANSHEK is an award-winning journalist well-versed in public lands, wildlife, recreation, environmental, and development issues. After graduating from West Virginia University in 1979, he was hired in 1980 by The Associated Press, initially as a temporary legislative relief staffer, and offered a full-time job late that same year. In 1988, when wildfires swept across Yellowstone National Park and captured the world’s attention, he directed and provided coverage of the fires for The Associated Press. He has a diverse journalistic background, having written about the rich biodiversity that lies within Great Smoky Mountains National Park and launched National Parks Traveler, the world’s top-rated editorially independent website dedicated to daily news and feature coverage of national parks and protected areas.