2/14/20 Mr. David Vela Acting Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Acting Director Vela: I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (the Coalition) and in partnership with the Association of National Park Rangers, to express our grave concern over the initiative
Coalition Chair Comments on Rising NPS Visitation and Declining Staff
Too many people? Great Smoky Mountains National Park hits record visitation in 2019 KAREN CHÁVEZ | THE CITIZEN-TIMES Updated 6:14 p.m. EST Feb. 13, 2020 Tobias Miller has had his nose to the ground at Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the past 18 years, building, fixing and maintaining the vast network of forest trails
Public Lands Should Not Be Sold to Balance the Budget
Today was the nomination hearing for Judy Shelton, President Trump’s latest nominee for the Federal Reserve Board. Shelton has expressed the view that the U.S. government should sell-off its “numerous federal land holdings” in order to “expedite the achievement of a balanced budget.” Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks,
Coalition Testifies at NEPA Public Hearing
Statement of Sarah Bransom Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Regarding Proposed Revisions to CEQ Regulations for the Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act Denver, Colorado Hearing February 11, 2020 Good morning. My name is Sarah Bransom. I am presenting this testimony on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. Our group
Member Op-ed: Organ Pipe Cactus Will Suffer Irreversible Destruction
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is home to a thriving community of plants and animals. In fact, this national monument is also an International Biosphere Reserve, recognized for its conservation of the unique resources representing a pristine example of an intact Sonoran Desert ecosystem. But the health and continued protection of this irreplaceable ecosystem is
Coalition Denounces Massive Cuts to DOI Budget in President’s Proposed Budget
Coalition Denounces Massive Cuts to DOI Budget in President’s Proposed Budget WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the White House released its proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes massive cuts to major domestic programs. The Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes cuts to the Department of Interior funding, which includes a 97% cut in discretionary
Coalition Condemns Final Management Plans for Utah National Monuments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 06, 2020 CONTACT: Emily Thompson, 202-758-3936, Em************@********ps.org Coalition Condemns Final Management Plans for Utah National Monuments WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the Interior Department finalized resource management plans for the reduced Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah by releasing two Records of Decision. The decision
Member OP-ED: Time to end wasteful, speculative oil & gas leasing
When I was Superintendent at Joshua Tree National Park, the number one reason visitors cited for coming to the park was to experience its stunningly beautiful undeveloped views and vistas, which extended well beyond the park’s boundaries. Clearly, the same motivation compels visitors to other national parks across the country, especially those located in the
Oppose Eagle Crest Legislation
February 3, 2020 The Honorable Chris Holden and Laura Friedman Assembly Utilities and Energy and Natural Resources Committees State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Opposition to Eagle Crest Legislation Dear Chair Holden and Chair Friedman, We write to express our opposition to legislation directing the procurement by the Independent System Operator of expensive long-duration
Coalition Participates in Outdoor Retailer Panel on Parks and Climate Change
Coalition Member Gary Davis recently served as a panelist for the session Parks in Peril: National Parks in a Changing Climate at Outdoor Retailer, a business-to-business outdoor sports show for those working in the industry. Several hundred people participated in the session, which included a lively discussion focused on the evolving role of science in
Member OP-ED: Bill Would Balance Interest in Parks
My name is Doug Morris and I served 40 years with the National Park Service. I live in Montana and serve as an executive council member for the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. The purpose of this letter is to urge U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte to cosponsor the bipartisan House bill, H.R. 3225, the
Coalition Comments on Electric Bicycles in NPS Alaskan Parks
January 29, 2020 National Park Service, Attn: Compendiums Alaska Regional Office 240 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 Dear Alaska Regional Office: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,700 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition).The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of
OP-ED: Restore oil and gas leasing master plans
CPANP Executive Council member Sarah Bransom submitted this Op-Ed to The Daily Camera, Boulder, CO – 1/30/20 My name is Sarah Bransom and I am a retired National Park Service professional. I spent 32 years in federal service and now serve as a member of the executive council for the Coalition to Protect America’s National
Prominent Park Advocates and Leaders Take Battle Over Atlantic Coast Pipeline to the Supreme Court
Today, the National Parks Conservation Association joined the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and prominent park advocates Jon Jarvis, former director of the National Park Service, and Pam Underhill, former Superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in filing a joint amicus brief supporting conservation respondents in U.S. Forest Service, et al. v. Cowpasture
Coalition Joins “Amici curiae” Brief to The Supreme Court of the United States
Coalition Joins “Amici curiae” Brief to The Supreme Court of the United States Nos. 18-1584 & 18-1587 ================================================================================================================ In The Supreme Court of the United States • UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, ET AL., Petitioners, v. COWPASTURE RIVER PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION, ET AL., Respondents. • ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE, LLC, Petitioner, v. COWPASTURE RIVER PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION, ET
Coalition Requests Extension of Comment Period for NEPA Update
January 20, 2020 Mary Neumayr, Chair Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20503 Edward Boling, Associate Director for the National Environmental Policy Act Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20503 Subject: Request for a 60 day Extension of Public Comment Period on “Update to the Regulations for Implementing
Coalition Applauds Legislation to Curtail Oil and Gas Leasing
Senator Cortez Masto introduced legislation to end the leasing of land with low to no oil and gas potential. Coalition Chair Phil Francis issued the following short statement: “Our public lands leasing system prioritizes oil and gas development over everything else. Leasing lands with little to no potential for drilling, in many cases on the
Member OP-ED: Trump is Threatening America’s Cornerstone of Environmental Law to Allow for Backroom Deals
TRUMP IS THREATENING AMERICA’S CORNERSTONE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW TO ALLOW FOR BACKROOM DEALS | NEWSWEEK OPINION JUDITH HAZEN CONNERY The Trump administration’s proposal to exempt some of the nation’s most controversial developments, such as pipelines and mines, from scrutiny under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is more than just a bone thrown to corporate
Coalition Condemns Proposed Changes to NEPA
For Immediate Release: 1/9/20 “We strongly condemn the administration’s proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The National Park Service (NPS) is charged by law to protect our nation’s irreplaceable natural and cultural resources and NEPA is acritical tool that allows the NPS to meet their fundamental mission of protecting and preserving our
Coalition Comments: Sochan Gathering for Traditional Purposes at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
January 5, 2020 Superintendent Cassius M. Cash National Park Service Great Smoky Mountains National Park 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738 Dear Superintendent Cash: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,700 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition).The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of retired, former,
Coalition Comments – Ebike Use on Trails
January 4, 2020 Superintendent Craig Kenkel National Park Service Cuyahoga Valley National Park 15610 Vaughn Road Brecksville, OH 44141 Dear Superintendent Kenkel: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,700 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition).The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of the
Coalition Talks Endangered Parks with National Park Traveler
Endangered and Threatened Units of The National Park System By Kurt Repanshek editor, National Park Traveler A commercial “spaceport” proposed to be built just west of Cumberland Island National Seashore would send rockets over the seashore and its wilderness/NPS file For flora and fauna, being listed under the protections of the Endangered Species Act marks a
Coalition Participates in Telepresser
Coalition Executive Council member Mark Butler recently participated in a telepresser about the fourth consecutive oil and gas lease sale in Nevada. This sale involves approximately 775,000 acres of public lands located in Lincoln and White Pine Counties, within the scenic vistas and views of Great Basin National Park. The call was set up to
Coalition Statement on House Spending Packages
Coalition Statement on House Spending Packages For Immediate Release: 12/18/19 “We are pleased to see the increase to the National Park Service budget and appreciate the bipartisan investment in our national parks and public lands. Our national parks and national park service employees help to ensure that irreplaceable natural and cultural resources are preserved for
Coalition Joins Partners in Opposing BLM Move in Politico Ad
The Coalition joined 11 other partner organizations and signed on to an ad from the Public Lands Foundation, opposing the relocation of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters and employees from Washington, D.C. to locations out west. The full page ad ran in Politico on December 10, 2019.