Mount Rushmore climbers to monitor and seal cracks annually. Due to budget constraints, the memorial is not regularly cleaned to remove lichens. However, on July 8, 2005, Alfred Kärcher GmbH, a German manufacturer of pressure washing and steam cleaning machines, conducted a free cleanup operation which lasted several weeks, using pressurized water at over . The flora and fauna of Mount Rushmore are similar to those of the rest of the Black Hills region of South Dakota. Birds including the turkey vulture, bald eagle, hawk, and meadowlark fly around Mount Rushmore, occasionally making nesting spots in the ledges of the mountain. Smaller
Mount Rushmore in popular culture operates as the Hotel Alex Johnson. The "North by Northwest" appearance has been parodied in several venues. In "North by North Quahog", a 2005 episode of the animated series "Family Guy", Mount Rushmore's forested plateau was the location of the villain's home, and characters Peter and Lois are chased down the monument by Mel Gibson. In "Richie Rich", the Rich family's imitation of Mount Rushmore becomes the setting for the film's finale, echoing the finale of "North by Northwest". Alan Weisman, in his book "The World Without Us", suggests that the Mount Rushmore memorial could last up to 7.2 million