The Honorable Mike Lee Chairman Senate Energy and Natural Resources The Honorable Martin Heinrich Ranking Member Senate Energy and Natural Resources CC: Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Members RE: Oppose S.2970 – To authorize the use of off-highway vehicles in certain areas of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Dear Chairman Lee, Ranking Member Heinrich,
36 Community Groups to EPA: Don’t Weaken Regional Haze Protections for Parks and Communities
350 Colorado * Access Fund * AFGE Local 704 * Alpine Lakes Protection Society Archaeology Southwest * Breathe Project * Central California Asthma Collaborative Central Valley Air Quality Coalition * Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Environmental Law & Policy Center * Families for a Livable Climate * Friends of Acadia Goldman School of Public
Protecting Park Views: Coalition Urges EPA to Strengthen the Regional Haze Rule
Comments Submitted via regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-1477-0001 December 1, 2025 Paige Wantlin Air Quality Policy Division Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards Environmental Protection Agency 109 TW Alexander Drive Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 Wa***********@*pa.gov Subject: Comments on EPA’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: Visibility Protection: Regional Haze State Plan Requirements Rule Revision Dear Ms. Wantlin:
Statement: America’s best idea now America’s greatest shakedown with new park fees
Statement: America’s best idea now America’s greatest shakedown with new park fees On Tuesday 25 November, the Trump Administration announced that as of January 1, 2026, foreign visitors will need to pay an additional $100 to visit 11 popular national parks—on top of existing fees. The park pass will also jump to $250 for international
Government Shutdown Sends Ripples Through Science
Government shutdown sends ripples through science By Rachel Cohen KNPR (Las Vegas, NV) Nevada Public Radio Thursday, November 20, 2025 On Oct. 1, the day the government shut down after Congress failed to pass a budget, Jeremy Shaw was working deep in a meadow valley in Rocky Mountain National Park. A research scientist at Colorado
Government Reopens, But the Crisis in Our National Parks Deepens
MEMO To: Interested Parties Fr: Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Re: The Government Is Open. Now what for our National Parks? Dt: November 2025 The government shutdown crisis may be over, but the crisis at our national parks is not. In fact, the government shutdown made an already bad situation at national parks and
Interior Secretary Faces Backlash Over Overseas Trip During Shutdown
Interior Secretary Faces Backlash Over Overseas Trip During Shutdown By Maxine Joselow | The New York Times | Nov. 4, 2025 As the U.S. government shutdown continues to strain federal operations, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is drawing criticism for embarking on a weeklong trip across the Middle East and Europe. His itinerary includes major energy
Protecting Cumberland Island’s Wilderness: Coalition Opposes New Beach Access Road Proposal
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW Submitted by email to: el**************@****ga.gov November 1, 2025 Beth Byrnes Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division One Conservation Way Brunswick, Georgia 31520 el**************@****ga.gov Subject: Foster Family Irrevocable Trust, Beach Driving Access Point, Atlantic Ocean, Cumberland Island, Camden County, Georgia Dear Ms. Byrnes: I am writing
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Urges Senate Support for S.J.Res. 69 to Halt Barred Owl Killings in National Parks
October 28, 2025 The Honorable Michael Bennet United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Re: Support for S.J.Res. 69 – Opposition to Killing North American Forest Owls in 14 Units of the National Park System Dear Senator Bennet: I am Elaine Frances Leslie, Ph.D., a career wildlife biologist in both the private sector and federal government,
More Than 450 Former National Park Leaders Call for Closure of National Parks as Dangerous Incidents Escalate
More Than 450 Former National Park Leaders Call for Closure of National Parks as Dangerous Incidents Escalate Following incidents at Yosemite and Joshua Tree, leaders state: As these latest, and sadly predictable, incidents clearly demonstrate, our parks cannot operate without dedicated staff In a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum sent today, more
Protect Our Parks: Former NPS Employees Warn of Escalating Dangers During Shutdown
October 23, 2025 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington D.C., 20240 Dear Secretary Burgum: We write to you with great alarm after dangerous and life-threatening incidents at national parks and urge you once again to close all national parks until the government re-opens. As you have likely
Coalition and NPCA Submit Comments on NPS Visitor Services
October 9, 2025 RE: Docket No. NPS-2025-0037, request for information on improving visitor services On behalf of the National Parks Conservation Association and the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Re: Docket No. MPS-2025-0037, we are pleased to offer comments on the National Park Service (NPS)’s efforts to improve visitor services. Since 1919, the
Coalition Urges Closure of National Parks After Illegal BASE Jumping, Squatting in Yosemite
After Reports Of Illegal BASE jumping And Squatters In Yosemite, Coalition To Protect America’s National Park Says: “This is What We Warned About. It’s Time To Close National Parks” Report in SFGate shows video of “illegal behavior, including BASE jumping from El Capitan and climbing Half Dome’s cables without permits” inside Yosemite National Park A story
Public Lands Leaders Sound Alarm on National Parks and Public Lands As Government Shutdown Compounds Effect of Existing Cuts
October 7, 2025 Public Lands Leaders Sound Alarm on National Parks and Public Lands As Government Shutdown Compounds Effect of Existing Cuts With Limited Staff and Shrinking Budgets, Public Lands are Stretched Thin; Leaders Warn Early Shutdown Impacts Foreshadow Larger Problems Full Recording and Transcript can be Found Here. Washington, D.C. — Today, former
NPT: Veteran Public Lands Managers Lament Government Shutdown’s Impacts
By Kurt Repanshek October 7, 2025 National parks across the country might appear to be operating largely as usual during the government shutdown, but natural and cultural resources are at risk, National Park Service morale is further being crushed, and family finances are at risk while many politicians look the other way, former agency personnel
Coalition Deeply Concerned Over Plan to Keep Parks Open and Understaffed During Shutdown
Coalition members and staff continue to push for national parks – which are already struggling under the impacts of staffing and budget cuts since January – to be closed in the event of a government shutdown. NBC Bay Area News – “Why some want national parks closed if government shuts down.“ Cronkite News –
Member Op-Ed: National park cuts threaten Nevada’s economy
NEVADA VIEWS: National park cuts threaten Nevada’s economy Catherine Cortez Masto and Mark Butler Special to the Las Vegas Review-Journal September 27, 2025 – 9:01 pm Updated September 29, 2025 – 7:03 am In addition to their natural wonders, Nevada’s national parks and public lands such as Great Basin National Park, Lake Mead National
More Than 35 Former National Park Superintendents Urge Secretary Burgum To Close National Parks If There Is A Government Shutdown
More Than 35 Former National Park Superintendents Urge Secretary Burgum To Close National Parks If There Is A Government Shutdown Superintendents state: “Leaving parks open to the public with minimal—or no—park staffing is reckless and puts both visitors and park resources at risk.” In a letter sent to Secretary Burgum today, 38 former National Park
Former NPS Superintendents Urge Secretary Burgum To Close National Parks if Government Shuts Down
September 25, 2025 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington D.C., 20240 Dear Secretary Burgum: As former superintendents of national parks across the country, we write to you with an urgent appeal to protect our parks and public lands by closing them if a government shutdown occurs. Past
‘We should all be ashamed’: Huffman calls out reported plan to sanitize National Parks exhibits
‘We should all be ashamed’: Huffman calls out reported plan to sanitize National Parks exhibits Interior Department disputes claims of censorship By ROBERT SCHAULIS PUBLISHED: September 19, 2025 The Trump administration has come under fire this week for attempting to “sanitize” and “erase history” at National Parks sites throughout the county. On Monday, the
VICTORY: Court Rules Lawsuit to Protect Wilderness Battlefield Can Proceed
VICTORY: Court Rules Lawsuit to Protect Wilderness Battlefield Can Proceed Thanks to yesterday’s ruling, litigation will continue to save this precious landscape and hallowed ground, home to some of America’s most impactful history. WASHINGTON – Today, the Circuit Court for Orange County, Virginia partially denied a motion to dismiss the litigation challenging the the local
Coalition Statement On Removal of Historical Information from National Parks: “Dangerous And Unprecedented Move”
Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks On Removal of Historical Information from National Parks: “Dangerous And Unprecedented Move” The Administration is ordering national parks to remove historical information it considers disparaging to America at parks across the country. Following a March executive order, which asserted that some of the history presented at parks advances
Member Op-Ed: Trump administration cuts to National Park Service threaten NC economy
From the majestic peaks of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to the unparalleled beaches of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, millions of Americans visit North Carolina’s national parks each year to enjoy the natural beauty, culture, history, and recreation they offer. I spent more than four decades with the National Park Service, much of it
Federal Judge Rebukes Trump Administration for Firing Essential Federal Employees
Federal Judge Rebukes Trump Administration for Firing Essential Federal Employees In a sharply worded decision issued late Friday, a federal district judge ruled that the Trump Administration broke the law by firing federal workers employed in vital roles protecting public safety and supporting the U.S. economy. Judge William H. Alsup of the Northern District of
Former Coalition EC Member Michael Allen: Trump Is Scrubbing Slavery From Our Historical Sites
OPINION GUEST ESSAY Trump Is Scrubbing Slavery From Our Historical Sites Sept. 5, 2025 By Kevin Sack Mr. Sack is the author of “Mother Emanuel: Two Centuries of Race, Resistance, and Forgiveness in One Charleston Church.” Charles Pinckney’s stature in American history, sufficient to merit his own National Park Service site near Charleston, S.C., has