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,
Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Statement on the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Shrink Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments
For Immediate Release: Monday, July 13, 2026 Contact: Doug Gordon | do**@***************es.com Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Statement on the Trump Administration’s Efforts to Shrink Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments In response to President Trump signing an executive order to shrink Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments, Cheryl Schreier, Chair of
Coalition Urges CBP to Minimize Border Barrier Construction and Keep Big Bend National Park Wild
ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION – NO HARD COPY TO FOLLOW July 10, 2026 Submitted via email to: Bi*************@*****hs.gov Subject: Brewster County Vehicle Barrier System Construction The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition) is comprised of more than 5,000 members, all of whom are retired, former, or current National Park Service (NPS) employees or volunteers who collectively
Conservation Groups Challenge BLM’s Purple Sage Energy Center Over Threats to the Old Spanish National Historic Trail
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility Coalition To Protect America’s National Parks Western Watersheds Project Basin and Range Watch and John W. Hiscock July 9, 2026 Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Las Vegas Field Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 BL***********************@*lm.gov Protest – Proposed Resource Management
National Park System Receives Special Designation from the World Monuments Fund Irreplaceable Initiative
The Coalition secured special designation for the National Park System through the World Monuments Fund’s Irreplaceable America initiative, which recognizes heritage places that reflect the breadth of the American experience and face urgent preservation challenges. Cheryl Schreier, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition, shared: “National parks are the great cathedrals of the
Internal memo orders staff not to reveal deaths in national parks
The Interior Department’s guidance instructs parks staff not to confirm deaths, the severity of injuries or other details. June 24, 2026 By Jake Price On Friday, a 17-year-old girl drowned in Sequoia National Park after slipping into a river. On Saturday, a 23-year-old man died after falling over a waterfall in Yosemite. The same
Conservation Groups Urge Congressional Oversight of NPS Actions at Cumberland Island National Seashore
The Honorable Steve Daines Chairman Subcommittee on National Parks Energy and Natural Resources Committee U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Angus King Ranking Member Subcommittee on National Parks Energy and Natural Resources Committee U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Senator Jon Ossoff U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Senator Raphael Warnock U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Judge Blocks National Parks From Removing ‘Negative’ Signs
Judge Blocks National Parks From Removing ‘Negative’ Signs The ruling accused the Trump administration of engaging in censorship by taking down materials at parks across the country. By Maxine Joselow Reporting from Washington Published June 12, 2026 Updated June 13, 2026, 5:39 p.m. ET A federal judge on Friday temporarily blocked the National Park Service
Park Service orders removal of ‘woke’ quotes at Boston’s Bunker Hill monument
Park Service orders removal of ‘woke’ quotes at Boston’s Bunker Hill monument A visitor complaint prompted a review of quotes that are anti-war, pro-immigrant or highlight American hypocrisy on slavery ahead of the monument’s 251st anniversary celebration. By Jake Spring, The Washington Post June 4, 2026 The National Park Service has ordered the removal of
Animal Welfare and Public Health Groups File Petition in Colorado to Ban Lead Ammunition for Hunting
For Immediate Release June 4, 2026 Contact: Lindsey von Busch at 732.284.9089| li*****@******************on.org Animal Welfare and Public Health Groups File Petition in Colorado to Ban Lead Ammunition for Hunting Lead poisons and kills dozens of wildlife species and is also an acute threat to hunting families and others eating wild game shot with the toxic, irreducible