October 25, 2023 United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Re: Please oppose H.R. 4821, the 2024 interior bill, which would eviscerate environmental protections, decimate historic climate progress in the Inflation Reduction Act, green light harmful poison pill anti-environmental riders, and so much more Dear Representative, On behalf of our millions of members and
The Coalition Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Molok Luyuk
Date: 9/25/23 The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Thanks Secretary Haaland for Visit to Molok Luyuk Secretary Haaland recently visited Molok Luyuk in Northern California, a landscape of natural and cultural significance located along the eastern edge of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument. Tribal, congressional and local community leaders have called on President
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************@pr********.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
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
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 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
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 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 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 Signs On in Opposition to General Management Plan Amendment for Point Reyes National Seashore
June 30, 2021 The Honorable Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St. NW Washington, D.C. 20240 RE: Protect Point Reyes National Seashore from industrial agriculture and restore the park for all Americans Dear Secretary Haaland: Our organizations – over 50 in number – have joined together to urge
Coalition Applauds Secretary’s Orders to Repeal Energy Dominance Policies
Release Date: April 16, 2021 Media Contact: Emily Thompson, Em************@pr********.org, 202-758-3936 Coalition Applauds Secretary’s Orders to Repeal Energy Dominance Policies Today, Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, issued two Secretarial Orders (SO) to prioritize action on climate change throughout the Interior Department and to restore transparency and integrity in the Department’s decision-making processes. Secretary
Coalition Signs on To Letter Urging DOI Action to Reform Leasing Program
April 15, 2021 The Honorable Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior 1849 C Street Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Secretary Haaland: Thank you for the opportunity to provide recommendations on the Interior Department’s review of the federal onshore oil and gas program. We wholeheartedly support this review, as the onshore program requires sweeping, top-to-bottom reform – to eliminate
Coalition Urges Senate to Confirm DOI Leadership Nominees
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Says Experience of Beaudreau and Estenoz Will Help Advance Biden’s Ambitious Conservation and Climate Agenda WASHINGTON, DC — The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is urging the Senate to confirm Tommy Beaudreau as Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Shannon Estenoz as Assistant Secretary
Coalition Submits Comments on DOI Fossil Fuels Program Review
April 12, 2021 The Honorable Debra Haaland Secretary of Interior U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St. NW Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Secretary Haaland, I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,900 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, and current
Coalition Urges Secretary Haaland to Protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments
Ahead of Haaland’s Visit to Utah’s Monuments, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Says These Lands Need Stronger Protections. WASHINGTON, DC — Later this week, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland will travel to Utah to meet with stakeholders, Tribes, and elected leaders as part of the national monuments review announced by President Biden. Ahead
Coalition Comments on DOI Public Forum
“We strongly agree with Secretary Haaland’s Interior Department; our nation’s federal oil and gas leasing system is in need of holistic reform,” said Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. “It is an outdated system that threatens our climate, wildlife, clean air and water, public lands, and national parks.” President
Coalition Celebrates Deb Haaland’s Confirmation as Interior Secretary
“We applaud today’s historic confirmation of Deb Haaland as the new Secretary of the Interior. We look forward to having a public lands champion in the office and will work to support her efforts to combat the challenges facing our national parks and public lands,” said Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect
Coalition Continues to Support Haaland as Interior Secretary Nominee
Coalition Continues to Support Haaland as her Nomination for Interior Secretary Heads to a Full Senate Confirmation Vote WASHINGTON, DC — Earlier today, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources voted to advance the nomination of Rep. Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior Department to a full Senate confirmation vote. In reaction
Coalition Joins Comments Regarding Migratory Bird Treaty Act
Dr. Eric Kershner Attn: FWS-HQ-MB-2018-0090 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service MS: JAO/1N 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 er***********@fw*.gov Re: Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2018-0090, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Regulations Governing Take of Migratory Birds Dear Dr. Kershner: The Southern Environmental Law Center submits these comments on behalf of the 31 undersigned organizations, which work
Coalition Calls on DOI for Transparency and Leadership
The Washington Monument Was Shut Down After Secretary Bernhardt, Who Had Been “Giving Private, Nighttime Tours,” Tests Positive for Coronavirus A recent internal Interior report revealed that over 2,000 Department of the Interior (DOI) employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and 17 have died. And while the pandemic continues to rage across the country, Secretary Bernhardt
Coalition Weighs In on Bernhardt’s Reckless Behavior
By Washington Post – Juliet Eilperin and Darryl Fears Interior shuts Washington Monument after interior secretary tests positive for the coronavirus Park Service staff say they may have been exposed when David Bernhardt led a private, after-hours tour Officials have taken the extraordinary step of closing the Washington Monument starting Friday as a precaution after
Coalition Praises Representative Haaland’s Historic Nomination for Interior Secretary
WASHINGTON, DC — Moments ago, it was reported that President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Representative Deb Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior. She would be the first Indigenous person to serve in that position. In reaction to the announcement, Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, said:
Coalition Signs on to FY 21 Appropriations Letter
November 19, 2020 Dear Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall, Chairwoman Collins and Ranking Member Reed, Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce, Chairman Price and Ranking Member Diaz-Balart, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, thank you for your investments over the years to our national parks given the constraints to
Coalition: The Secretary Bernhardt’s Attempt to Undermine LWCF is Unacceptable
WASHINGTON, DC — Moments ago, Secretary David Bernhardt announced that the Interior Department would issue new orders that will impose unnecessary, top-down requirements that will potentially delay the National Park Service’s ability to address its over $5 billion backlog of land acquisition needs. In reaction to the announcement, Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition
Coalition Opposes Proposed Revisions to Endangered Species Act Habitat Rules
October 8, 2020 The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 RE: Proposed Revisions to Endangered Species Act Habitat Rules Dear Secretary Bernhardt: On behalf of our millions of members and supporters nationwide, we urge you to withdraw the two recent proposed rules related to habitat
Coalition Signs on to DOI Letter Regarding Pendley
October 06, 2020 By Mary Jo Brooks – The National Wildlife Federation Coalition of Conservation Organizations Deliver Letter to Secretary Bernhardt Calling for Immediate Review WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon Society, and 58 other conservation organizations have called on Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to retract all management plans, decisions, rulemakings, and regulations
Coalition Calls on DOI to Halt All Oil and Gas Lease Sales
September 28, 2020 The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St. NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, On behalf of our over 1,800 members, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), urges you to halt all oil and gas lease sales as our country continues to navigate the
Coalition Comments on Distribution of GAO Act Funds
Park Service anniversary finds government working to implement new funding The government is working to implement new legislation giving the National Park Service’s infrastructure a well-needed facelift as the NPS, one of the most popular federal agencies, celebrates its 104th anniversary on Tuesday. The recently passed Great American Outdoors Act is intended to tackle the
Coalition Speaks About Lack of Permanent NPS Director
How Trump bent the National Park Service to do his bidding By Mark Kaufman For the first 100 years of the National Park Service’s existence, there has almost continually been an official director who leads the prestigious conservation agency. Now, that’s changed. The Trump administration has never had anyone in the official position of
Coalition Comments on New DOI Acting Orders
Posted to The Hill – 06/09/20 06:00 AM EDT By Rebecca Beitsch and Rachel Frazin A new Interior Department move to leave controversial temporary leaders in place indefinitely may violate laws on filling vacancies, legal experts say, and skirts requirements for Senate confirmation. In a statement provided to The Hill on Friday, Interior said
Parks Group Demands Answers to Park Police’s Unprovoked and Aggressive Actions Against Peaceful Protesters
David Bernhardt Secretary of the Interior Department of the Interior 1849 C St NW Washington, DC 20240 **Submitted via email** June 4, 2020 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, We write with deep concern about the recent actions of the United States Park Police during ongoing protests in Washington, DC. Like protests around the country, those in our
Member OP-ED: Killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens on NPS lands in Alaska is wrong
Many people would agree that hunting methods such as killing black bear mothers with cubs in their dens, “harvesting” grizzly bears over bait, “taking” female wolves and coyotes and their pups during denning season, are deeply offensive, particularly on public lands, like the national preserves managed by the National Park Service in Alaska. Yet, Secretary David Bernhardt’s Interior Department
Coalition Condemns Final NPS Alaska Hunting Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/20/20 The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks expressed outrage at the National Park Service’s decision to announce the final rule that amends its regulations to adopt the state of Alaska’s approved hunting practices, which target predator species, and include killing black bear sows with cubs at den sites; killing wolves
Member OpEd: Oil and Gas Lease Sales Should be Paused During the Pandemic Crisis
Opinion: Oil and gas lease sales should be paused during the coronavirus crisis – Sheridan Steele Special to The Colorado Sun The COVID-19 pandemic has swept through the United States and changed our daily lives. Complying with orders from city, state and national leaders, those who are able to in Colorado are staying home to
Coalition Comments on Acting Positions in DOI
– UPDATE – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Sues Over “Acting” Positions For National Park Service, BLM Directors Posted by National Parks Traveler Staff (NPT)- May 11th, 2020 NPT Editor’s note: This updates with reaction from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and National Parks Conservation Association. David Vela, the de facto director of
Coalition Rebukes Secretary Bernhardt’s Messaging
The Coalition issued a short statement in response to an op-ed by Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Fox News published an op-ed in which the Secretary defended his lackluster response to the coronavirus pandemic, which many experts have warned puts park workers, volunteers, and visitors at risk of infection. Phil Francis, chairman of the Coalition to Protect
Letter to Secretary Bernhardt: Close Public Access to Parks
March 31, 2020 The Honorable David Bernhardt, Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bernhardt: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, and current employees of
Disappointing News for National Parks: Bernhardt Confirmed as Interior Secretary
Coalition’s Statement on David Bernhardt’s Confirmation as Interior Secretary For Immediate Release: 12 April 2019 The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks expressed disappointment and concern over the confirmation of David Bernhardt as Secretary of the Interior. The organization represents over 1,700 members consisting of current, former, and retired National Park Service employees with
New Interior Chief Poses Threat to our National Parks
An op-ed from Coalition member Laura Rotegard in the Kitsap Sun. https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/columnists/2019/04/11/your-turn-trumps-interior-nominee-poses-threat-our-national-parks/3437425002/
Coalition to Congress: “David Bernhardt Poses a Serious Threat to our National Parks”
March 26, 2019 Dear Senator, I am writing on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition). With more than 1,600 members, the Coalition consists mainly of retired National Park Service (NPS) employees, including: Former NPS directors; associate and regional directors; superintendents; rangers, and a wide variety of specialists. The Coalition was founded
Coalition Expresses Concern Over Bernhardt Nomination
February 4, 2019 Statement of Phil Francis, Chair of The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, on the Nomination of David Bernhardt as Secretary of the Interior: “The Coalition is extremely concerned about the nomination of David Bernhardt as the new Secretary of the Interior. Secretary-designate Bernhardt was a lobbyist for oil and gas