Release Date: August 18, 2021
NPS Director Nominee Announced
Today, the White House announced that President Biden plans to nominate Charles Sams to serve as the Director of the National Park Service. Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, says this announcement is long overdue.
“For the first time in its history, the NPS has been without a Senate-confirmed director for over four years. We have pushed hard for a nominee, and we are gratified that President Biden’s administration has finally made an announcement. We urge the Senate to schedule hearings on the nomination as soon as possible.
Mr. Sams has an extensive record working in natural resource and conservation management. We look forward to learning more about his priorities for the National Park System and working with him to ensure that the National Park Service has the support and funding to fulfill its mission to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.
The National Park Service has been underfunded for decades. And over the past four years, the mission of the NPS has been politicized and its employees have been made pawns in the process. Now, the NPS is facing record-breaking crowds in the middle of an ongoing pandemic. There is much work to be done in order to restore the NPS to the proud agency it has been for over a century and to allow our national parks to be able to fulfill the mission set by Congress so that these nationally significant natural, historic, and cultural resources can continue to be enjoyed by millions of visitors each year.”
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