NATIONAL BRIEFING / WASHINGTON, D.C.

President Obama named Jon Jarvis to head the National Park Service, turning to a 30-year veteran who oversees the national parks across the Western states.

Jarvis, a biologist, told the Associated Press recently that his priorities as a parks official included climate change, the role of the parks with education and youth, and reaching out to populations who haven’t used the parks.

The National Parks Conservation Assn., an environmental group, welcomed Jarvis’ nomination, calling him “well-versed in the threats to our natural and cultural treasures, and the leadership, collaboration, and cooperation needed to restore them.”