Coalition Comments on the Cumberland Island N.S. Visitor Use Management Plan

  Superintendent Gary Ingram Cumberland Island National Seashore 101 Wheeler Street St. Marys, Georgia 31558 Re: Cumberland Island National Seashore Proposed Visitor Use Management Plan Dear Superintendent Ingram: On behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Georgia Chapter Sierra Club, Georgia Audubon, Center

Coalition Celebrates Passage of National Heritage Area Act

  Date: 12.22.22 Contact: Emily Thompson Today, the National Heritage Area Act (S. 1942) passed the House with a remarkable level of bi-partisan support. The bill passed the Senate on Tuesday. It now heads to President Biden’s desk for signature. Mike Murray, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement

Coalition Statement on FY2023 Omnibus Funding Bill

  Date: 12.21.22 Contact: Emily Thompson Congress has introduced an omnibus funding bill for fiscal year 2023, which calls for a much-needed increase of more than $210 million to the National Park Service (NPS). The bill also includes $1.5 billion in critically needed supplemental disaster funding for parks across the country still dealing with the

Coalition EC Member Talks Climate Change and the Gullah Geechee Corridor

  Vanishing land: Climate change displaces Black families along Gullah-Geechee corridor By Melba Newsome Special to The Post and Courier Nov 26, 2022 Editor’s note: This story is supported by grants from the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting’s Connected Coastlines Climate Reporting initiative and Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. PINEY GROVE, N.C. — Connie McCoy has

Coalition Urges Passage of National Heritage Act in Letter to Congressional Leadership

  December 13, 2022 The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Coalition Joins Partners in Expressing Deep Concerns Over Proposed Leasing Plans for Clara Barton NHS

December 9, 2022 Dear Superintendent Charles Cuvelier: We are a group concerned with the future of the Clara Barton National Historic Site. Many of us are professional historians of the United States with considerable expertise in women’s history, public history, U.S. history from before the Civil War to its aftermath to the Progressive Era, the

Coalition Speaks with Citizen Times About ATMP Concerns at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

  National Park Service finalizes air tour management plan for Smokies; group has concerns Ryan Oehrli Asheville Citizen Times The National Park Service announced Dec. 7 in a news release that it has completed its plan, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, to preserve “wilderness character” in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but a

Coalition Applauds President Biden’s Pledge to Protect Avi Kwa Ame

Release Date: November 30, 2022 Coalition Applauds President Biden’s Pledge to Protect Avi Kwa Ame Today, President Biden pledged to protect Avi Kwa Ame at the Tribal Nations Summit, a commitment which takes the culturally and naturally significant landscape one step closer to a national monument designation. Mike Murray, Chair of the Coalition to Protect

Coalition Supports Increased Funding For Environmental Agencies and Programs in FY23 Omnibus Bill

November 30, 2022     Dear Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman DeLauro, and Ranking Member Granger: On behalf of our tens of millions of members and supporters across the country, we respectfully request that you support significantly increased funding for environmental agencies and programs in the FY23 omnibus. We also ask that you reject

Coalition Continues to Take Action on Transmission Line Project Near Jamestown

November 23, 2022 Michael Connor Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 441 G Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20314 RE: NAO-2012-0080 Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton Proposal Meeting Request Dear Assistant Secretary Connor: We, the undersigned groups with special expertise on this matter, continue to have significant concerns about the Army Corps-managed environmental

Coalition Signs on In Support of Protection for Mature Forests

To: The Honorable John Kerry, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Cc: The Honorable Ali Zaidi, Assistant to the President & National Climate Advisor The Honorable John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation The Honorable Tom Vilsack, United States Secretary of Agriculture The Honorable Deb Haaland, United States Secretary

Coalition Signs on In Support of Additional Funding for Disaster Relief in FY23 Appropriations Omnibus Bill

November 14th, 2022 RE: Include public lands disaster relief in the next FY23 funding vehicle Dear Senators and Representatives: We, the undersigned organizations, representing millions of Americans, are dismayed by the devastation this year’s natural disasters have caused to communities throughout the country and commend the bipartisan aid you have provided for their needs to

Coalition Supports Reform to the Antiquated Federal Oil and Gas Leasing System

November 16, 2022 U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St., NW Washington, D.C. 20240 RE: Initiating a Rulemaking to Reform the Federal Oil and Gas Leasing System To the Honorable Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland: The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management recently announced plans to offer more than 260,000 acres

National Parks Traveler: News Roundup Looking At Air Tours, GAOA, And More

Is the National Park Service failing to adequately evaluate air tours over national parks, how is the Great American Outdoors Act performing in the National Park System, and continuing visitation issues in the parks are the topics that will be discussed in this coming Sunday’s podcast at the National Parks Traveler. Both the National Parks

Coalition Joins Comments In Support of Guidance to Disallow Renewable Energy Tax Credits Near Japanese American Incarceration Sites

November 4, 2022 Notice 2022-49 — Certain Energy Generation Incentives Comments Submitted electronically via Federal eRulemaking Portal (www.regulations.gov) Internal Revenue Service U.S Department of Treasury P.O. Box 7604 Washington, DC 20044 Dear Internal Revenue Service: On behalf of our 20 respective organizations and 21 local and regional chapters of the Japanese American Citizens League, we

Bears Ears National Monument Monument Management Plan Scoping Comments October 2022

Grand Canyon Trust – Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance – The Wilderness Society – Western Watersheds Project – National Parks Conservation Association – Center for Biological Diversity – Conservation Lands Foundation – WildEarth Guardians – Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks – Wildlands Network – Natural Resources Defense Council Bears Ears National Monument Monument Management Plan

Coalition Signs Letter Opposing the Prince William Digital Gateway

October 31, 2022 Prince William County Board of Supervisors 1 County Complex Ct. Prince William, VA 22192 Dear Chair Ann Wheeler and Members of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors: We, the undersigned thirty (30) organizations, write to you today regarding Comprehensive Plan Amendment #CPA2021-00004, the PW Digital Gateway. On behalf of our millions

Coalition Joins Request for Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton James River Transmission Line Pre-decisional Referral

Dear Deputy Secretary Beaudreau: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Cultural Heritage Partners, Duke Environmental Law and Policy Clinic, the National Parks Conservation Association, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Preservation Virginia have requested that the U.S. Department of Interior and the National Park Service file a pre-decisional referral to the Council on

Coalition Celebrates Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument Designation

  October 12, 2022 Coalition Celebrates Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument Designation Today, President Biden used his power under the Antiquities Act to create the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument. The site, located in Colorado, protects a World War II-era military training ground, as well as striking landscapes and wildlife habitat along the Continental Divide

Coalition Joins E-bike Letter Sent to Secretary Haaland

American Hiking Society, Back Country Horsemen of America, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, California Wilderness Coalition, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Colorado Mountain Club, Colorado Wildlands Project, Conservation Lands Foundation, Conservation Northwest, Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, Friends of the Bitterroot, Great Old Broads for Wilderness, High Country Conservation Advocates, Idaho Conservation League, Keep

Comments on Minnesota’s Draft Plan for Regional Haze

  October 7, 2022 Submitted electronically via MPCA webpage Minnesota Pollution Control Agency c/o Maggie Wenger 520 Lafayette Road St. Paul, Minnesota 55155 Re: Minnesota’s Draft State Implementation Plan for Regional Haze Round II Dear Ms. Wenger: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Environmental Law & Policy Center, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, National Parks

Comments on the 2023-2028 Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and Draft EIS

    October 6, 2022 Ms. Kelly Hammerle Chief, National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 45600 Woodland Road Sterling, VA 20166 Re: Comments on the 2023-2028 Proposed Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program and Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Docket ID: BOEM-2022-0031) Ms. Hammerle: The Southern

Coalition Comments on Ongoing Use of Lead Ammunition and Fishing Tackle in Units of The National Park System

      October 6, 2022 Ms. Shannon Estenoz Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Subject:  Ongoing use of toxic lead ammunition and fishing tackle in units of the National Park System Dear Assistant Secretary Estenoz: I am writing to you

Coalition Comments on Ruling Regarding Alaska Hunting Practices

  Oct. 3, 2022 District Court concludes that rule allowing destructive hunting practices on national preserves in Alaska is arbitrary, sends it back to agencies to revise A federal District Court in Alaska ruled on Sept. 30 that a National Park Service rule allowing hunting practices like baiting brown bears in national preserves in Alaska

Potential Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) Alternatives for Mount Rushmore National Memorial

  October 3, 2022 Ms. Michelle Wheatley, Superintendent Mount Rushmore National Memorial 13000 Highway 244 Building 31, Suite 1 Keystone, SD 57751 Subject: Potential Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) Alternatives for Mount Rushmore National Memorial Dear Superintendent Wheatley: I am writing on behalf of over 2,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who

Badlands National Park Air Tour Management Plan Potential Alternatives Newsletter

  October 3, 2022 Mr. Eric Veach, Superintendent Badlands National Park 25216 Ben Reifel Road Interior, SD 57750 Subject: Badlands National Park Air Tour Management Plan Potential Alternatives Newsletter Dear Superintendent Veach: First, welcome to the National Park Service as the new superintendent of Badlands National Park! We hope you will find working within the

Comments for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Resource Management Plan

  Bureau of Land Management Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument 669 South Highway 89 A, Kanab, UT 84741 September 26, 2022 RE: Public Scoping Comments for Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Resource Management Plan (DOI-BLM-UT-P010-2022-0006-RMP-EIS) Dear Adé Nelson and the Resource Management Planning Team, The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and the Coalition to Protect America’s National

Coalition and Partners Continue Fight Against Development Near Manassas National Battlefield Park

Senator Mark Warner Senator Tim Kaine Representative Don Beyer Representative Gerry Connolly Representative Abigail Spanberger Representative Jennifer Wexton Representative Rob Wittman September 20, 2022 Dear Virginia Senators and Northern Virginia Representatives, As many of you know, the proposed Prince William Digital Gateway (PWDG) is a Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) in Prince William County to designate

Coalition Joins 100 Organizations in Support of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument Designation

September 19th, 2022 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, Together, 100 organizations representing millions of members and supporters across the country join the Indigenous leaders and nations, state and local governments, conservation organizations, outdoor recreationists, small businesses, artists, and advocates urging you to designate Avi Kwa

Coalition Comments On Big Cypress National Preserve Supplemental Draft Backcountry Access Plan, Wilderness Study, and Environmental Impact Statement

  September 20, 2022 Mr. Tom Forsyth, Superintendent Big Cypress National Preserve 33100 Tamiami Trail East Ochopee , FL 34141 Subject: BICY Supplemental Draft Backcountry Access Plan/Wilderness Study/EIS Dear Superintendent Forsyth: I am writing on behalf of over 2,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively represent more than 45,000

Coalition Joins Support for NPF Reauthorization Act

September 19, 2022 Dear Members of the Senate Energy Natural Resources Committee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, write in support of the National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022 and urge the committee to swiftly move the bill and ensure final passage. National parks unite our country as evidenced

Coalition Joins Support for Supplemental NPS Disaster Recovery Funding

September 19, 2022 Dear Senators Schumer, McConnell, Leahy and Shelby and Representatives Pelosi, McCarthy, DeLauro and Granger, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, urge inclusion of at least $1.7 billion in disaster relief for our national parks in the next FY23 spending bill. The extent of this year’s natural disasters

Coalition Speaks with NPT on NPS Tribal Co-stewardship Policy

  National Park Service Broadens Tribal Involvement In Stewardship Of Parks By Kurt Repanshek – September 14th, 2022 Editor’s note: This updates with comments from Professor Robert Keiter, the Wallace Stegner Professor of Law, University Distinguished Professor, and founding Director of the Wallace Stegner Center for Land, Resources, and the Environment at the University of

Coalition Comments on Dominion Energy’s James River Project

September 12, 2022 Ms. Shannon Estenoz Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, DC 20240 Subject: NAO-2012-00080, Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton Project, James River Transmission Line Dear Assistant Secretary Estenoz: We are writing to you on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Cultural Heritage Partners, Duke Environmental

Coalition Supports Designation of Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument

Vet Voice Foundation P.O. Box 11559 Portland OR 97211 President Joseph R. Biden The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: We are writing to urge you to use the powers granted to you under the Antiquities Act to designate the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado. As you know, this request was

Coalition Comments on FRA Brightline West NEPA Re-evaluation of Las Vegas to Apple Valley Segment

  August 22, 2022 Amit Bose, Administrator Federal Railroad Administration 1200 New Jersey Ave SE Washington, D.C. 20590 am***********@do*.gov Re: Adding Necessary Wildlife Overpasses to Brightline West High-Speed Rail Project – Coalition Comments on FRA Brightline West NEPA Re-evaluation of Las Vegas to Apple Valley Segment Dear Administrator Bose: We write to request that the

Coalition Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Avi Kwa Ame

  Release Date: September 7, 2022 Contact: Emily Thompson Coalition Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Avi Kwa Ame Earlier today, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada to meet with Tribal and local community members about the sacred landscape. The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks has joined Tribal and local

Coalition Sends Letter of Support for 1908 Springfield Race Riot Study

  September 2, 2022 Mr. Tokey Boswell Associate Regional Director Facilities, Planning, and Infrastructure National Park Service 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, NE 68102 Subject: Special Resource Study for 1908 Springfield Race Riot Site Dear Mr. Boswell: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition) is pleased to submit the following comments to the National Park

The Coalition Applauds and Supports the National Park Service System Plan

  The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks applauds and supports the National Park Service System Plan, and its findings. This report addresses many of the concerns expressed in This Land is Our Land; Restoring Our National Parks, a document the Coalition prepared for the Biden Administration as they transitioned into office. Our organization, as

Coalition Joins Call to Protect Old-Growth Forests

Secretary Vilsack and Secretary Haaland, We are writing on behalf of our millions of members and supporters across the country to comment specifically on how you should define—and manage— mature and old-growth trees and forests to provide the greatest climate, biodiversity, and drinking water benefits for the United States. President Biden correctly identified these forests

Coalition Signs On To Support Secretary Deb Haaland issued Secretarial Order 3407 (single-use plastics)

August 25, 2022 Dear Secretary Haaland: Thank you for your bold leadership within the federal government to reduce harmful single-use plastics. We support your Secretarial Order (No. 3407), issued on World Oceans Day, which will phase out the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging across the U.S. Department of the Interior

Advocacy Actions Update: Spaceport Camden and Mt. Rushmore Fireworks

  Spaceport Camden In 2021, the Coalition and its partners were active in expressing concerns with efforts of the Camden County, Ga., government to purchase and build a spaceport on a large industrial site owned by Union Carbide Corporation. The County had signed a contract to purchase the land; however, the National Park Service and

Coalition Celebrates Final Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act

  Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Celebrates Final Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act “Climate change is the greatest threat facing America’s national parks,” said Michael Murray, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. “The Inflation Reduction Act (Act) will provide an historic investment in our country’s response to that threat, and

Coalition Comments On Experimental Population Regulations

  Public Comments Processing Attn: FWS-HQ-ES-2021-0033 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service MS: PRB/3W 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 Re: Proposed Revisions to Regulations Regarding Experimental Populations Under the Endangered Species Act, Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2021-0033 The Southern Environmental Law Center submits the following comments on behalf of a broad coalition of 24 conservation groups

New Report Highlights Urgent Need for Federal Oil and Gas Reform to Protect Cultural Landscapes Surrounding National Parks

  July 28, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) – Today, Archaeology Southwest and The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (CPANP) released a report on the threats oil and gas development pose to ancestral homelands and sacred sites of Tribes within and adjacent to national parks in the United States. The report looks at five national parks

Member Op-Ed: Yosemite’s sequoias survived the latest wildfire. Not all national parks will be so lucky.

  OPINION – Posted to the LA Times July 25, 2022 BY MARK BUTLER Watching these past weeks as firefighters battled to stop wildfire from spreading into Yosemite National Park’s famous Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia trees was an urgent reminder of the large-scale threat climate change poses to our national parks. Unfortunately, fires like

Coalition’s Comments to the DOI’s Law Enforcement Task Force

  July 28, 2020 United States Department of the Interior Office of the Secretary Law Enforcement Task Force 1849 C Street NW Washington DC 20240 Dear Members of the Secretary’s Law Enforcement Task Force: I am writing on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, a non-profit organization comprised of more than 2,200

Coalition Comments on Nevada’s Proposed Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

  July 25, 2022 Andrew Tucker Nevada Division of Environmental Protection 901 S. Stewart Street, Suite 4001 Carson City, NV 8970 Re: Conservation Organizations’ Comments on the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection’s Proposed Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the Second Planning Period Dear Mr. Tucker: National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club and Coalition to

Coalition Comments On Hawaii Draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

Hawaii has two Class I areas, Haleakalā National Park on Maui Island and Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii Island. DOH-CAB evaluated the following four sources, and proposed the following actions: Based on NPCA’s research, we know these sources contribute to visibility impairment at Hawaii’s Class I areas. As discussed below, we urge DOH-CAB to

Coalition Comments On Idaho Draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

Idaho’s two Class I areas, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve and Yellowstone National Park. Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve protects a vast “weird and scenic landscape” with remarkable and diverse volcanic features, sagebrush steppe ecosystems, and wilderness, which provides opportunities to explore, understand, and value the rugged and remote

Coalition Joins Comments Regarding the Oklahoma’s Draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

  July 1, 2022 Melanie Foster Air Quality Division Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 1677 Oklahoma City, OK 73101-1677 Re: Public Comments of Conservation Organizations on Oklahoma’s Draft Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the Second Period Dear Ms. Foster: Please accept these public comments submitted jointly by the Coalition to Protect America’s

Coalition Supports Cesar Chavez National Historic Park

June 2022 The Honorable Dianne Feinstein United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Alex Padilla United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Raul Ruiz United States Congress Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Senators Padilla and Feinstein and Congressman Ruiz: Thank you for your commitment to honoring the visibility of our diverse American history in

Coalition Leads Effort in Support of Additional FY23 NPS Funding

American Hiking Society * Appalachian Mountain Club * Appalachian Trail Conservancy * Chesapeake Conservancy * Connecticut Forest & Park Association Continental Divide Trail Association * Environmental Action Committee of West Marin * East Bay Regional Park District * Endangered Species Coalition Evangelical Environmental Network * Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Friends of Saguaro National Park *

Coalition Submits Testimony on Various National Parks Bills

Statement for the Record Michael B. Murray Chair of the Executive Council Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Committee on Natural Resources House of Representatives Hearing on Various National Park bills June 14, 2022 Chairman Neguse, Ranking Member Fulcher, and members of the Subcommittee, I am Michael

Coalition Comments on California’s Proposed State Implementation Plan Regional Haze – Round Two

Access Fund * Central Valley Young Environmental Advocates Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks * National Parks Conservation Association * Outdoor Alliance California June 13, 2022 Liane Randolph Chair, California Air Resources Board 1001 I St. Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Comments on California’s Proposed State Implementation Plan Regional Haze Round Two Dear Ms. Randolph, On behalf

Coalition Submits Testimony on FY23 NPS Appropriations

        Statement for the Record Michael B. Murray Chair of the Executive Council, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate FY 2023 Appropriations for the National Park Service, Department of the Interior June 8, 2022 Chairman Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and

Coalition Recognizes Antiquities Act Anniversary

Coalition Recognizes Antiquities Act Anniversary On June 8, 1906, the Antiquities Act was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt. This landmark legislation authorizes the President of the United States to proclaim national monuments on federal lands that contain historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, or other objects of historic or scientific interest. In honor

Coalition Signs on To Letter Urging National Monument Designation for Castner Range

June 7th, 2022 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. The White House Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, On behalf of the 92 undersigned organizations and the millions of members and supporters we collectively represent, we urge you to designate Castner Range as a national monument through the powers granted to your office under the

Coalition Participates in Panel on Protecting Cahokia Mounds

United States Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site: Past, Present, and Future Cahokia Mounds World Heritage Site, located in Collinsville, Illinois, is the pre-eminent example of a cultural, religious, and economic center of the Mississippian culture (800–1350), which extended throughout the Mississippi Valley and the southeastern United

Coalition Submits Comments on Alaska Regional Haze Plan

  May 24, 2022 Rebecca Smith Division of Air Quality Department of Environmental Conservation P.O. Box 111800 Juneau, Alaska 99811-1800 Re: Organizational Comments on Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation’s Proposed Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP) Dear Ms. Smith: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and National Parks Conservation Association (“Organizations”) submit the following

Coalition Signs on In Support of the NPF Reauthorization Act

  May 23, 2022 Dear Members of the Senate Energy Natural Resources Committee and House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, write in support of the National Park Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2022 and urge the committees to swiftly move the bill and ensure final

Coalition Comments on Fire Island National Seashore Off Road Vehicle Civic Engagement Newsletter

  May 19, 2022 Superintendent Alexcy Romero Fire Island National Seashore 120 Laurel Street Patchogue, New York 11772 Subject: Comments on Fire Island National Seashore Off Road Vehicle Civic Engagement Newsletter Dear Superintendent Romero: I am writing on behalf of over 2,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively represent

Coalition Joins Protest of June 2022 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale Parcels

The Wilderness Society, Rocky Mountain Wild, Wild Montana, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, National Audubon Society, Audubon Rockies, and Friends of the Earth respectfully protest all parcels in the June 2022 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sales. The Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact, and accompanying documents contain several major flaws that undergird

NPT: The National Park System’s Crippling Maintenance Backlog

  National Parks Traveler Episode 170 The National Park System’s Crippling Maintenance Backlog By Kurt Repanshek – May 15th, 2022 In today’s podcast, we’re looking out across the National Park System, and at the National Park Service, in advance of the Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional launch to summer, to explore how things are on

Coalition Comments on NPS Deferred Maintenance

UPDATE | National Park System’s Deferred Maintenance Bill Nearly $22 Billion By Kurt Repanshek – May 9th, 2022 Editor’s note: This updates with reaction from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. In the roughly three years since the National Park Service under the Trump administration decided it wasn’t helpful to announce the dollar amount

Member Op-Ed: President Biden, proclaim the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site a national monument.

Op-ed: President Biden, proclaim the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site a national monument By Norman Hellmers The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was an incredibly violent chapter in our nation’s history. Blocks of the Illinois city’s Black neighborhoods, including numerous businesses and residences, were destroyed and burned by rioting white mobs. Two Black citizens were killed

Member Op-Ed: President Biden should make a national monument in Sierra from Yosemite to Kings Canyon

  President Biden should make a national monument in Sierra from Yosemite to Kings Canyon BY RUSSELL GALIPEAU AND DON NEUBACHER April 29, 2022 Last year, President Biden set our first-ever national conservation goal — to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 — as part of his America the Beautiful Plan.

Coalition Works With House Committee On Housing Legislation

  The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks worked closely with the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, & Public Lands, to develop appropriate language for a bill that authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to enter into partnerships to develop housing, and for other purposes. This bill amends existing park

Coalition Comments on Proposed Arkansas Regional Haze Plan

  Erika Droke Department of Energy and Environment 5301 Northshore Drive North Little Rock, AR 72118 April 28, 2022 RE: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, National Parks Conservation Association, and Sierra Club Comments on Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality’s Proposed Regional Haze Planning Period II State Implementation Plan Dear Ms. Droke: Please accept these

Open Letter Regarding Alabama’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan

Lance LeFleur, Director Ron Gore, Chief of Air Division Alabama Department of Environmental Management P.O. Box 301463 Montgomery, AL 36130-1463 Dear Director LeFleur and Chief Gore: Alabama is one of the most biodiverse states in the country. Our remarkable ecosystems and beautiful scenery make Alabama an attractive destination for nature enthusiasts and drive our tourism

Reduce Regional Haze Air Pollution In Our National Parks

April 21, 2022 Secretary Deborah Haaland U.S. Department of Interior Washington, D.C. Director Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III National Park Service U.S. Department of Interior Washington, D.C. Dear Secretary Haaland and Director Sams, On behalf of our millions of members and supporters nationwide, we, the undersigned 56 organizations, thank you for your commitment to our national

Over 300 Coalition Members Sign On in Support of National Monuments

              April 19, 2022 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden President of the United States The Honorable Debra Haaland Secretary of the Interior The Honorable Brenda Mallory Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality Dear President Biden, Secretary Haaland, and Chair Mallory: We are writing on behalf of over 2,100

Coalition Applauds Congresswoman Escobar’s Letter of Support for Castner Range

  Release Date: April 5, 2022 Media Contact: Emily Thompson Coalition Applauds Congresswoman Escobar’s Letter of Support for Castner Range Following Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s visit to Castner Range, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar sent a letter to President Biden requesting he use the Antiquities Act to designate Castner Range a national monument. “We thank

Coalition Speaks with NPT About Funding for Cultural and Historic Parks

  Funding Lags for Historic, Cultural Parks Compared to Large, Popular Parks By Lori Sonken James Van Evers remembers sitting on bunkbeds, chewing bubble gum cigars his father gave him, and riding Heidi, the German Shepherd, in the backyard, but that’s about all he recalls from his childhood home in Jackson, Mississippi. His family moved

Coalition Comments: Air Tour Management Plan Alternatives for Haleakalā National Park

  April 1, 2022 Ms. Natalie Gates, Superintendent Haleakalā National Park PO Box 369 Makawao, HI 96768 Subject: Potential Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) Alternatives for Haleakalā National Park Dear Superintendent Gates: I am writing on behalf of over 2,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively represent more than 40,000 years

Coalition Submits Comments on Air Tour Management Alternatives for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

  March 28, 2022 Ms. Rhonda Loh, Superintendent Hawaii Volcanoes National Park P.O. Box 52 Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 Subject: Potential Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) Alternatives for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Dear Superintendent Loh: I am writing on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who

Coalition Supports Castner Range N. M. Designation As Secretary Haaland Visits the Landscape

March 26, 2022 EL PASO, TEXAS — Earlier today, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Castner Range in Texas, to hear from local community members and discuss their efforts to permanently protect Castner Range. Celebrating Sec. Haaland’s visit to Castner Range, Mike Murray, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement:

Coalition Joins Comments Request for Supplemental National Environmental Policy Act Analyses.

COALITION TO PROTECT AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS * CONSERVATION COLORADO * EARTHJUSTICE * ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND * FRIENDS OF THE EARTH * LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS * MONTANA WILDLIFE FEDERATION * NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION * NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL * PUBLIC CITIZEN * ROCKY MOUNTAIN WILD * SIERRA CLUB * WILD MONTANA * THE WILDERNESS

Coalition Comments Comments on Wyoming’s Proposed State Implementation Plan Regional Haze Round Two

              March 22, 2022 Nancy Vehr Administrator Air Quality Division Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality 200 West 17th Street Cheyenne, WY 82002 Re: Conservation Organizations’ Comments on Wyoming’s Proposed State Implementation Plan Regional Haze Round Two Dear Ms. Vehr: The National Parks Conservation Association, Sierra Club, Powder River Basin

Coalition Joins Comments on Montana’s Regional Haze Plan

March 21, 2022 Rhonda Payne Montana Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality Bureau 1520 E 6th Avenue Helena, MT 59620-0901 Re: Montana’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for the 2nd Implementation Period Dear Ms. Payne: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we respectfully submit this comment letter on Montana’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan for

Coalition Sends Letter Regarding GRCA Backcountry Permit Fees

            March 10, 2022 Mr. Edward Keable, Superintendent Grand Canyon National Park PO Box 129 Grand Canyon, AZ  86023 Dear Superintendent Keable: I am writing on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively represent more than 40,000 years of national park

Coalition Comments – Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail Revised Environmental Assessment.

            March 9, 2022 Mr. Alan Sumeriski Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, TN  37738 Subject:  Comments on Revised Environmental Assessment for Proposed Wears Valley Mountain Bike Trail System Dear Acting Superintendent Sumeriski: I am writing on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition

Coalition Submits Comments on Caneel Bay Redevelopment and Management Plan

  March 4, 2022 Caneel Bay Redevelopment and Management Plan Superintendent 1300 Cruz Bay Creek St. John, VI 00830 Re: Caneel Bay Redevelopment and Management Plan Newsletter comments Dear Superintendent Fields: We are writing on behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and its 1.6 million members and supporters nationwide, and the Coalition to

Coalition Submits Written Comments on American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas

  March 3, 2022 The Honorable Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC 20240 Subject: Comments on American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas, Docket No. DOI-2021-0016 Dear Secretary Haaland: I am writing on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks

Coalition Submits Comments on Visitor Experience and Improvement Authority Proposed Rule

              March 1, 2022 Commercial Services Program National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Mail Stop 2410, Attn: VEIA Rule Comments Washington, DC 20240 Subject: Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 1024-AE47 Dear NPS Commercial Services Program: I am writing to you on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition

Coalition Reaches out to Director Sams Regarding HR Concerns

  February 17, 2022 Mr. Charles Sams, Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 2024 Dear Director Sams: I am writing on the behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of more than 2,100 retired, former and current employees of the National Park

Coalition Joins Sign On Commending GAOA Hearing

  February 8, 2022 Dear Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines and Members of the Committee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition (Coalition), thank the Subcommittee on National Parks for hosting the important upcoming hearing on the Great American Outdoors Act. We commend the historic bipartisan support for this bill and

Coalition Praises Bennet’s Push to Pass Amache Legislation

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, February 7, 2022 CONTACT: Emily Thompson | Em************@pr********.org Former NPS Employees & Leaders Praise Sen. Bennet for Pushing Legislation to Add Amache National Historic Site to the National Park System Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Urges Swift Senate Passage of Legislation Statement from the Coalition to Protect America’s National

Organizations Send Notice of Intent to Sue EPA Over Failure of Regional Haze Plans

  February 7, 2022 Via Certified and Electronic Mail Michael Regan, Administrator U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Ariel Rios Building 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. Mail Code 1101A Washington, DC 20460 Re: Notice of Intent to File Suit Under the Clean Air Act for Failure to Make Statutory Completeness Determinations and Findings of Failure to Submit Regional

NPT: Room To Grow? For Parks In The Eastern US, More Than You Realize

  As the first major step towards reaching its goal to “conserve, connect, and restore” 30 percent of the nation’s land and water by 2030, the Biden administration released its “America the Beautiful” report in 2021, laying out the broad principles guiding the effort, but lacking specific details on which lands, exactly, need to be

Coalition Submits Comments on Ironman Race Permit Request at Blue Ridge Parkway

  January 29, 2022 Ms. Tracy Swartout, Superintendent Blue Ridge Parkway 199 Hemphill Knob Rd Asheville, NC 28803 Dear Superintendent Swartout: I am writing to you on behalf of over 2,100 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of the National Park

Coalition Expresses Strong Concern Over Potential Development Near Manassas National Battlefield Park

    January 25, 2022 Chair Wheeler and Members of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, I am writing you today on behalf of the Coalition to Protect Americas National Parks, a non-profit organization composed of more than 2,100 retired, former and current employees of the National Park Service (NPS), who collectively have over

Coalition Joins Call Urging Passage of Final FY 22 Appropriations Bills

  January 24, 2022 Dear Chairman Leahy, Ranking Member Shelby, Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Granger, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, urge passage of final Fiscal Year 2022 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bills to address significant park understaffing and related operational

Coalition Participates in American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas Listening Session

  DOI Listening Session – 30×30 Initiative January 21, 2022 FINAL ORAL STATEMENT Good morning, my name is Russell Galipeau and I represent the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. I am speaking from the ancestral lands of the Chumash. Our national parks along with congressionally designated Wilderness Areas should serve as core conservation areas,

Coalition Joins Request for Pre-Decisional Referral for Historic Jamestown Transmission Lines Project

January 19, 2022 Charles F. Sams III Director National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 RE: NAO-2012-00080 Surry-Skiffes Creek-Whealton Proposal Request for Pre-Decisional Referral to CEQ Dear Director Sams: Congratulations on your appointment as the Director of the National Park Service. We look forward to working with you. We, the undersigned, urge

PETITION TO REDUCE THE RATE OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION ON PUBLIC LANDS

BEFORE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR _____________________________________________________ PETITION TO REDUCE THE RATE OF OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION ON PUBLIC LANDS AND WATERS TO NEAR ZERO BY 2035 January 19, 2022 Submitted By 361 CLIMATE, CONSERVATION, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, PUBLIC HEALTH, INDIGENOUS, FAITH-BASED, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS _____________________________________________________ “No more

Coalition Joins Call to Delay Community Meetings Over Proposed Data Center Near Manassas Battlefield

  Chair Ann Wheeler Supervisor Victor S. Angry Supervisor Jeanine Lawson Supervisor Yesli Vega Supervisor Pete Candland Supervisor Kenny A. Boddye Supervisor Andrea O. Bailey Supervisor Margaret Angela Franklin January 13, 2022 Dear Chair Wheeler, and Supervisors Angry, Lawson, Vega, Candland, Boddye, Bailey, and Franklin: We, the below signers, write to you today to urge

Former Coalition Chair Comments on Funding Imbalance and the Parks

    NPT Editor’s note: Without adequate funding, you can’t quickly repair your leaking roof, or hire enough employees to meet your customers’ needs and demands. At the National Park Service, the lack of adequate funding across the board threatens the agency’s mission, landing the issue of park funding on National Parks Traveler’s 3rd Annual Threatened and