January 23, 2025 Ms. Kelly Hammerle Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM–LD) U.S. Department of Interior 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216 RE: Opposition to New Lease Sales in the Draft Proposed National OCS Oil & Gas Leasing Program from 144 Non-profit organizations (Docket No. BOEM-2025-0483) Dear Secretary Burgum, On behalf of our millions of
Coalition Urges Interior to Uphold Historic Integrity Amid White House Alterations and Interpretation Directives
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW November 19, 2025 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington D.C., 20240 Dear Secretary Burgum: I am writing on behalf of more than 4,700 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively represent more than 50,000
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
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
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
Secretary Burgum’s Order Weakens Land and Water Conservation Fund
Secretary Burgum’s Order Weakens Land and Water Conservation Fund Washington, DC — In 2020, President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), which funded the hugely popular and bipartisan Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). LWCF invests in public lands across the country — improving access points, expanding trails and services, and creating new
New NYT Report Shows The Deep Crisis in National Parks
New NYT Report Shows The Deep Crisis in National Parks Secretary Burgum’s order that parks remain open and accessible has put parks in an impossible situation. A new report in today’s New York Times shows that while the Trump Administration is pushing national parks to remain open and accessible, our parks are in crisis, and
America’s National Parks at Breaking Point as Staff Cuts, Budget Slashes Threaten Safety and Preservation
Australian Broadcast Corporation Once ‘America’s best idea’, National Parks are reaching their breaking point US national parks are being forced to stay open despite operating on a “bare-bones” crew after cuts to staff and funding. Rangers say they can’t sustain it. By Maddy Morwood From the towering sandstone canyons in Zion, to the Rocky Mountain
Coalition Participates in Meeting with Arizona Daily Star Editorial Board: Preserve our public lands
Arizona Daily Star Editorial: Preserve our public lands Jun 26, 2025 When word came down about Utah Sen. Mike Lee’s plan, inserted into the Big Beautiful whatever, to mandate the sale of between 0.5% and 0.75% of all Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service lands in 11 Western states over the next five
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Blasts DOI’s Biased Regulatory Reform Effort Favoring Industry Over Conservation
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW Submitted on-line via: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/DOI-2025-0005-0001 June 30, 2025 U.S. Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Subject: DOI Request for Information (RFI) regarding Regulatory Reform To Whom It May Concern: I am writing on behalf of the Coalition to Protect
Six Questions to Ask Secretary Burgum at Hearings This Week
May 19 2025 This week, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum will testify in front of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee on Tuesday May 20 and in front of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday May 21. This administration has made devastating cuts to national parks staff, setting up a potential crisis.
Coalition Opposes Rescinding the Definition of Harm under the Endangered Species Act
Electronic Submission – No Hard Copy to Follow Submitted via – https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/17/2025-06746/rescinding-the-definition-of-harm-under-the-endangered-species-act May 19, 2025 Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service and Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Subject: Document FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0034-0001, Rescinding the Definition of Harm under the Endangered Species Act Dear Secretary Burgum and Secretary Lutnick: I am writing on
Former NPS Directors and Leaders to Burgum: Ensure the Protection of our National Parks
May 8, 2025 The Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC, 20240 Dear Secretary Burgum: As former senior leaders of the National Park Service (NPS), we are writing to express our concerns about Secretarial Order 3426, which states that, “that all park units remain open and accessible to
Coalition to Sec. Burgum: Uphold Roosevelt’s “Conservation Ethic” and Defer Leasing Near Theodore Roosevelt NP
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW April 28, 2025 The Honorable Doug Burgum, Secretary Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington DC 20240 Subject: Proposed oil and gas leasing on BLM lands adjacent to Theodore Roosevelt National Park Dear Secretary Burgum: I am writing to you today on behalf of the
Coalition Speaks on Interior Secretary’s Order for National Parks To Be Open And Accessible
UPDATE | Interior Secretary Orders National Parks To Be Open And Accessible By Kurt Repanshek April 3, 2025 Editor’s note: This includes reaction from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum late Thursday afternoon ordered that the National Park Service ensure that the National Park System “is properly staffed to support
SFGATE.com: U.S. senators issue dire warning for national parks
U.S. senators issue dire warning for national parks By Ashley Harrell, National Parks Bureau Chief Feb 7, 2025 Twenty-two democratic and independent U.S. senators sent a letter Friday morning to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum imploring him to reconsider drastic measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce the workforce of
Coalition Supports Letter Sent to Secretary Burgum on NPS Staffing Concerns
Coalition Supports Letter Sent to Secretary Burgum on NPS Staffing Concerns The Coalition issued a statement of support for a letter sent today, calling on Secretary Burgum to, “immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, officially rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to
Coalition Speaks in Defense of Parks and Public Lands
A series of secretarial orders were recently issued, including Secretarial Order 3418 “Unleashing American Energy,” which mandates that the Department of the Interior launch an initial review of all lands withdrawn from fossil fuel and mining development, including hundreds of our national monuments. Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect
Coalition Signs on in Support of Additional Protections for Minidoka NHS
October 10, 2023 The Honorable Deb Haaland Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Secretary Haaland: We are Japanese American and Alaska Native survivors, who were wrongfully incarcerated during World War II at Minidoka. We are joined by Minidoka descendants and allies. We
Coalition Joins Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon NM NGO Letter of Support
Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument Support June 6, 2023 President Joe Biden The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Biden: We express our strong support for the Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition and its request that you issue a proclamation to establish the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand
Coalition Applauds Protections for Chaco Landscape
Release Date: June 5, 2023 Media Contact: Emily Thompson Em************@********ps.org 202-758-3936 Last week, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland ordered a 20-year mineral withdrawal of public lands within a 10-mile radius of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park (NHP). This action will help to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture NHP
Coalition Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Earlier today, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni, a proposed national monument of 1.1 million acres with cultural connections to at least 12 Tribes and Nations. This Indigenous-led proposal dates back decades to numerous efforts to
Support for the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument
May 9, 2023 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr. President of the United States The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 The Honorable Debra Haaland Secretary of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington D.C. 20240 The Honorable Brenda Mallory Chair of the Council on