MarkTwainNationalForest.com
Effective Date: April 10, 2025
1. Introduction
Welcome to MarkTwainNationalForest.com (the “Website”). This Website is an independent, unofficial informational resource and blog about the Mark Twain National Forest. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our visitors (“you,” “your”). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, and your choices regarding your information.
Disclaimer: This website, MarkTwainNationalForest.com, is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the United States Forest Service (USFS) or any other government agency. It is an independent, informational resource. For official information, please visit the official USFS website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
- a. Information You Provide Voluntarily:
- Comments: If you leave comments on our blog posts, we may collect your name, email address, website URL (optional), and the content of your comment.
- Contact Forms: If you contact us via a contact form, we may collect your name, email address, and any information you provide in your message.
- (Optional – Add if applicable) Newsletter: If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will collect your email address.
- b. Information Collected Automatically:
- Log Data: Like most websites, our servers automatically record information (“Log Data”) created by your use of the Website. Log Data may include information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, the referring web page, pages visited, location (if available), your mobile carrier, device information, search terms, and cookie information.
- Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies (small text files sent by your computer each time you visit our website) and similar technologies to operate and improve the Website, understand how you use it, and personalize your experience. We may use both session cookies (which expire after you close your browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your device until you delete them or they expire). You can control or limit how we and our partners use cookies via your browser settings. Please see our Cookie section below for more details.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for purposes including:
- To operate, maintain, and improve the Website and its features.
- To respond to your comments and inquiries.
- To analyze website traffic and usage patterns (e.g., using analytics tools) to understand how our visitors use the site and improve its content and usability.
- To prevent spam and protect the security of the Website.
- (Optional – Add if applicable) To send you newsletters or other communications if you have subscribed.
- To comply with legal obligations.
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers: We may share information with third-party vendors and service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, analytics (e.g., Google Analytics), spam detection (e.g., Akismet), and comment system management. These providers only have access to the information necessary to perform their functions and are obligated to protect your information.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect and defend our rights or property, preventfraud, act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the Website, or protect against legal liability.
- Aggregated or Anonymized Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you with third parties for analysis or research purposes.
5. Cookies Policy
Cookies are small data files stored on your browser or device. We use them to:
- Ensure the Website functions correctly.
- Remember your preferences.
- Help us understand how visitors interact with the Website (Analytics).
We may use tools like Google Analytics. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information about website traffic. You can learn more about Google’s practices at policies.google.com/privacy/partners and opt-out by downloading the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings preferences. However, limiting the ability of websites to set cookies may worsen your overall user experience.
6. Data Security
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your Data Rights and Choices
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information. These may include the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you.
- Request correction of inaccurate information.
- Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain exceptions).
- Opt-out of certain data processing (like analytics cookies via browser settings).
If you have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data we are obliged to keep for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information below.
8. Third-Party Links
Our Website may contain links to other websites not operated or controlled by us (“Third-Party Sites”). The information practices of those Third-Party Sites are not covered by this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any Third-Party Sites you visit.
9. Children’s Privacy
Our Website is not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new PrivacyPolicy on this page and updating the “Effective Date” at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: