Coalition board member and former Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher spoke with ABC News about the proposed transfer of parkland to a private developer. The Trump administration is reportedly considering a land exchange that could provide Kingsbarn Realty Capital, a Nevada-based developer, with a narrow strip of land or an easement through Yosemite National
Conservation Groups Call for Public Hearing on Proposed Cumberland Island Land Exchanges
Darrell Echols Acting Director National Park Service, Region 2 100 Alabama Street SW 1924 Building Atlanta, GA 30303 September 9, 2026 Re: Request for Public Hearing Pursuant to 54 U.S.C. § 102901(b)(3) Regarding Proposed Cumberland Island National Seashore Land Exchanges Dear Acting Regional Director Echols, On behalf of the undersigned organizations and our members, we
NOTUS: Trump Is Quietly Planning to Majorly Change How National Parks Are Run
Trump Is Quietly Planning to Majorly Change How National Parks Are Run All Interior Department bureaus are considering major shake-ups under an edict from leadership. By Anna Kramer and Eric Katz September 8, 2026 10:31 a.m. The Trump administration is planning to significantly reorganize the National Park Service and other bureaus of the Interior Department,
Member Op-Ed: California’s wild forests need protection — not more roads
California’s wild forests need protection — not more roads Opinion By Woody Smeck September 6, 2026 California’s national forests contain some of the last truly wild landscapes in the American West. They protect drinking water, provide critical wildlife habitat, support recreation economies and give millions of people the chance to experience nature on its own
GearJunkie: DOGE Directive Spurs Proposed Changes to National Park E-Bike Rules
DOGE Directive Spurs Proposed Changes to National Park E-Bike Rules The National Park Service published a proposal to “remove redundant procedural processes” with the goal of streamlining approval for bike and e-bike travel. A proposed new federal rule could pave the way for more e-bike access in National Parks. Following deregulatory directives from the February
WLRN: Could another shake-up be coming for national parks? Former superintendents are worried
Could another shake-up be coming for national parks? Former superintendents are worried WLRN Public Media | By Jenny Staletovich Published September 2, 2026 at 5:41 PM EDT A coalition of former National Park superintendents is sounding the alarm over another rumored staff shake-up at beloved parks downsized by at least a quarter since last year. In a letter Tuesday
KQED: ‘Yosemite Is Not for Sale’: California Officials Oppose Land-Swap Deal
‘Yosemite Is Not for Sale’: California Officials Oppose Land-Swap Deal Backlash against a proposed deal to develop a private road into Yosemite has intensified as National Park Service employees grapple with an uncertain future. Sep 2, 2026 Updated 4:36 pm PT By Sarah Wright – KQED Public Radio A group of California lawmakers called on federal
USA Today: A piece of Yosemite could be privatized: What that means for visitors
A piece of Yosemite could be privatized: What that means for visitors A developer wants to build a road through Yosemite National Park land, prompting concerns about conservation and future precedence. By Eve Chen USA TODAY Updated Sept. 3, 2026, 8:34 a.m. ET Kingsbarn Realty Capital proposes building a road through less than two
More logging and mining near Grand Canyon? Trump plan to repeal Roadless Rule raises alarms
September 2, 2026 by Ellis Preston WASHINGTON – The Trump administration’s push to allow more road construction in national forests has alarmed preservationists in Arizona, who warn the change could lead to logging or more uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. On Aug. 18, the Department of Agriculture announced the plan to rescind the 2001
Yosemite land swap could face legal roadblocks
Yosemite land swap could face legal roadblocks A private developer wants to build a short road into Yosemite, but some experts say plans for a land exchange with the National Park Service could run afoul of a 1978 law. BY HEATHER RICHARDS | 09/02/2026 01:11 PM EDT A developer’s effort to acquire a piece of
NPR: Flash floods shaping America’s national story
SEPTEMBER 1, 20265:31 PM ET HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED By Ava Berger Amid floods in Nepal, the U.S. is experiencing serious floods in the west, including the Grand Canyon. We break down if they are connected and how Americans can understand this monsoon season. Transcript AILSA CHANG, HOST: Over the past two weeks, we
Former National Park Superintendents Warn Interior Secretary: National Parks Are in Crisis
September 2, 2026 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Secretary Burgum, As former National Park Service (NPS) superintendents, we have dedicated our careers to protecting America’s national parks. We have stood in front of crowded visitor centers, responded to emergencies in remote backcountry,
Protect the Wildlife-Rich Moose-Wilson Corridor
August 29, 2026 During a recent live interview on MS NOW, Friends of the Moose-Wilson Corridor and Joan Anzelmo, a Coalition member, highlighted the urgent effort to protect the corridor from construction of a separated bicycle pathway. The National Park Service rejected such a pathway in its September 2016 Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record
Member Op-Ed: Stand up for Arizona’s National Monuments
Not only did the White House decimate two Utah National Monuments last month, but now Senator Mike Lee is attempting to speed up the destruction of Bears Ears even further. Clearly, this Administration is coming after National Monuments—and Arizona could be next. Last year it was reported that they wanted to downsize six specific national
Former Yosemite Superintendent: Yosemite Belongs to the American People—Not Private Developers
Statement of Don Neubacher, board member of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and former superintendent of Yosemite National Park, on reports that the administration may give a private developer an easement through Yosemite to provide access to private property: “Yosemite National Park does not belong to a developer, a corporation, or any administration.
Member Op-Ed: Don’t Let This Administration Dismantle Public Lands
Don’t let this administration dismantle public lands The Administration’s recent dismantling of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments is not just a loss for Utah; it is a warning for all Americans who care about our iconic public lands. Here in Colorado, that’s nearly every one of us. Recent polling found that
Coalition Files Legal Brief to Protect Big Bend National Park from Border Construction
For Immediate Release: August 18, 2026 Contact: sa*@***************es.com Press Release: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Keep Big Bend Wild File Amicus Brief Against Big Bend National Park Border Construction Last week, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Keep Big Bend Wild filed an amicus brief asserting that the Department of Homeland
Coalition Also Joins Comments Urging NPS to Maintain Wilderness Protections
National Parks Conservation Association, Alaska Wilderness League, Badlands Conservation Alliance, Californians for Western Wilderness, CalWild, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Continental Divide Trail Coalition, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness, Friends of Nevada Wilderness, Glacier Two-Medicine Alliance, Grand Canyon Trust, Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, Mountain Mamas, Natural Resources Defense
Conservation Groups Urge National Park Service to Preserve Strong Wilderness Protections
August 14, 2026 Michael P. Michener Deputy Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Subject: Comments on National Park Service Director’s Order #41: Wilderness Stewardship (91 Fed. Reg. 35,998 (June 15, 2026)) Dear Mr. Michener: This letter is submitted on behalf of the undersigned organizations and
New Reports Raise Questions About Diversion of National Park Funds to Washington, D.C. Projects
For Immediate Release: August 12, 2026 Contact: da*@*******ms.com New Reporting: Trump and Burgum Have Used Millions of National Park Dollars for D.C. Vanity Projects CNN: At least 30% of revenue from park entrance fees redirected to Reflecting Pool contract, other D.C. vanity projects Washington, D.C. — With questions swirling over the botched renovation of the
Member Op-Ed: Chaco buffer provides breathing room for site
By Tom Vaughan Aug 9, 2026 I spent decades working at remarkable sites across the National Park System, but Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico stands out. Set aside by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907, Chaco Culture NHP has since been designated a World Heritage Site, putting it in the same globally
Coalition Comments on Proposed NPS Wilderness Climbing Policy
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW Comments submitted at: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NPS-2026-0101-0001 August 10, 2026 Michael Michener Deputy Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection National Park Service 1849 C Street NW, MS–2457 Washington, DC 20240 Subject: Comments on Director’s Order (DO) 41: Wilderness Stewardship, Section 7.2 (draft) and Reference Manual (RM) 41: Wilderness Stewardship,
Member Op-Ed: Monuments never blocked public access, but stripping their protections will cost us.
Letter to the editor: Monuments never blocked public access, but stripping their protections will cost us Published: Aug 2, 2026, 11:00 a.m. MDT As someone who spent nearly 40 years managing our public lands, including as superintendent of Bryce Canyon National Park, I was dismayed by President Donald Trump’s false statement about access to Bears
Coalition Urges National Park Service to Preserve Director’s Order 41 and Existing Wilderness Stewardship Protections
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW Submitted via: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NPS-2026-0100-0001 August 3, 2026 Michael P. Michener Deputy Associate Director, Visitor and Resource Protection National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Subject: Comments on National Park Service Level 2 Wilderness Stewardship Policy Review: Director’s Order #41 Dear Mr. Michener: The Coalition
Member Op-Ed: Don’t Abandon World Heritage
The July 26 front-page article “Okefenokee becomes a World Heritage site” prominently noted the addition of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the 27th World Heritage Site in the United States. Unfortunately, Okefenokee might be the last such addition for years to come. The United States led the