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
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
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.
More Than 50 Organizations Urge Interior Department to Preserve Oil and Gas Leasing Protections
Summary On August 24, 2026, more than 50 conservation, environmental-justice, public-health, recreation, wildlife, and community organizations—representing millions of members—urged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce to withdraw the Department of the Interior’s proposed oil and gas leasing rule. The groups ask the department to retain and fully implement BLM’s
19 Conservation and Public Lands Groups Urge BLM to Withdraw Proposed Oil and Gas Leasing Rule
Summary On August 24, 2026, the Western Environmental Law Center and 18 conservation, public-lands, wildlife, and community organizations submitted comments opposing the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Oil and Gas Leasing Rule, RIN 1004-AF05. The organizations contend that the proposal would weaken safeguards governing oil and gas development on federal lands, reduce public participation, expose
Conservation Groups Unite to Protect the Old Spanish National Historic Trail from Utah Oil and Gas Leasing
John W. Hiscock Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Western Watersheds Project Basin and Range Watch Protest – DOI-BLM-UT-0000-2026-0005-EA – BLM Utah 2026 Third Quarter Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale Environmental Assessment and FONSI August 21, 2026 Bureau of Land Management Utah State
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
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
Coalition Participates in Live Podcast for Keep Parks Public Campaign
Panel puts spotlight on Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, BLM Director Steve Pearce, and anti-park members of Congress SANTA FE— Leaders from New Mexico advocacy groups and the Center for Western Priorities called on President Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and former New Mexico congressman and current Bureau of Land Management director Steve Pearce to
More Than 330 Organizations Tell Trump Administration: America’s National Monuments Are Not for Sale
President Trump Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cc: Members of Congress Our national parks and monuments are among our country’s most precious places. These cherished spaces protect Tribal and Indigenous homelands, outdoor access, drinking water, and wildlife habitats. They sustain rural economies and support family businesses. They belong to all Americans. Public lands
Environmental Groups Challenge Trump EPA’s Rejection of Hawaiʻi’s Clean Air Plan in Federal Court
Environmental Groups Challenge Trump EPA’s Rejection of Hawaiʻi’s Clean Air Plan in Federal Court Coalition asks court to overturn an illegal EPA rule that harms the state’s iconic and unique park lands FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Ivan Moreno, NRDC, im*****@**dc.org, 312.651.7932 Isaac Moriwake, Earthjustice, im*******@**********ce.org, 808.222.2531 HONOLULU (July 22, 2026) — A coalition of conservation
Coalition Urges BLM to Defer Q4 Oil and Gas Lease Sales and Protect Theodore Roosevelt National Park
July 16, 2026 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Montana/Dakotas State Office Branch of Fluid Minerals Attn: Hattie Payne 5001 Southgate Drive Billings, MT 59101 U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, WY 82009 Re: Comments on Draft EA and FONSI for the Montana-Dakotas and Wyoming Q4 2026 Oil and
Former National Park Leaders Urge Secretary Burgum to Preserve Protections for Chaco Culture
July 16, 2026 The Honorable Doug Burgum Secretary of the Interior 1849 C Street NW Washington, D.C. 20240 Re: Proposal to Eliminate Protections for Chaco Culture National Historical Park Dear Secretary Burgum: As former National Park leaders and current members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and the Association of National Park
Conservation Groups Urge BLM to Withdraw Utah Oil and Gas Leases Threatening the Old Spanish National Historic Trail
RE: Scoping Comments – DOI-BLM-UT-0000-2026-0007-EA – BLM Utah 2026 Fourth Quarter Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale Environmental Assessment Submitted via email: bl****************@*lm.gov July 15, 2026 The following comments are submitted by John W. Hiscock, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Western Watersheds Project,