Priorities for the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition For more than a century, our national parks have remained America’s favorite places, important pieces of our natural and cultural heritage set aside for future generations to explore and enjoy. In 2019, 328 million park visitors spent an estimated $21 billion in local gateway communities while
Coalition Signs On to Letter Regarding Proposed Point Reyes GMP
Center for Biological Diversity * Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks * Sierra Club * Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC) * Marin Audubon Society * Resource Renewal Institute * National Parks Conservation Association * Save Our Seashore * Action for Animals * Alameda Creek Alliance * All-Creatures.org * Animal Legal Defense Fund * Animals Are Sentient
This Land is Our Land: Restoring Our National Parks
THIS LAND IS OUR LAND RESTORING THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE AND OUR NATIONAL PARKS: RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE COALITION TO PROTECT AMERICA’S NATIONAL PARKS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition) is a non-profit organization composed of more than 2,300 retired, former and current employees of the National Park Service (NPS
Coalition Signs On To Restoration and Stimulus Letter
January 12, 2021 The Honorable Joseph R. Biden President-Elect of the United States Dear President-Elect Biden: As your team works to address the current public health crisis and develop an economic recovery plan, you have an opportunity to create a large number of green, long-term jobs performing vital conservation and restoration work. Similar to the
Coalition Condemns Insurrection at the Capitol
The Coalition issued the following statement in the wake of today’s events in Washington, D.C.: “A peaceful transition of power lies at the heart of our democracy. It is the foundation of our country. If we don’t protect that American ideal, all of our other efforts to preserve and protect America’s Best Idea, our national parks,
Coalition Mourns the Loss of Director Everhardt
Coalition Chair Phil Francis recently spoke with The Ashville Citizen Times and Jackson Hole Daily about the recent death of former NPS Director Gary Everhardt. You can read more from the Coalition in our recent press release as well.
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***********@*ws.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
Former NPS Director Gary E. Everhardt Passes Away
December 29, 2020 Former NPS Director Gary E. Everhardt Passes Away Gary Everhardt, former director of the National Park Service (NPS), passed away on the evening of December 27, 2020. His death followed the passing of his wife Nancy, on December 23, 2020. “We are deeply saddened by the loss of both Gary and
National Parks Traveler Episode 98: Looking Back At 2020 In The Parks
By Kurt Repanshek – December 27th, 2020 7:00am In this, our last episode for 2020, we look back on the past 12 months in the parks with Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Kristen Brengel from the National Parks Conservation Association. And we also take a peek at the task ahead for the Biden
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 Comments on CO Air Quality Regulator’s Reversal of Decision
Colorado Air Quality Regulator Reverses Decision to Retire Coal Plants Early Air Quality Control Commission sides with corporate polluters over decision to force the early retirement of three coal plants. Denver, CO – Today, the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) voted to reverse its decision to accelerate the retirements of three Colorado coal units
Coalition Joins 500+ Organizations in Letter to President-Elect Biden
December 15, 2020 President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. Biden-Harris Transition Team 1401 Constitution Ave NW Washington, DC 20001 Re: Day one promise to ban new federal fossil fuel leasing and permitting on public lands and waters Dear President-elect Biden, Congratulations on winning the presidential election and thank you for your slate of promised executive actions
Coalition Urges Clean Air Protections
The Coalition submitted comments in support of the Air Quality Control Commission’s (AQCC) recent decision to reduce air pollution by accelerating the retirement dates of coal-fired power plants in Colorado through the regional haze rulemaking. Nine polluting coal plants would retire by 2028 — sharply reducing the pollution that causes haze in Rocky Mountain National
Coalition Submits Letter in Support of National Defense Authorization Act
November 19, 2020 Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Manchin, Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed, Chairman Grijalva and Ranking Member Bishop, Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry, On behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, a non-profit organization representing over 1,900 current and former National Park Service employees, we would like to
Coalition Supports Inclusion of Wildlife Overcrossings in XpressWest High-Speed Rail Project Design
Re: Adding Necessary Wildlife Overcrossings to XpressWest High-Speed Rail Project Design Treasurer Ma, Director Omishakin and Director Bonham: We write to request that your agencies coordinate to ensure that the proposed XpressWest High-Speed Rail Project (“Project”) includes wildlife overcrossings, which are necessary to avoid the permanent blockage of critical California wildlife corridors resulting from the
Coalition Testimony: Hearing on Various National Park and Public Lands Bills
Statement for the Record Philip A. Francis, Jr. Chair of the Executive Council Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests & Mining Committee on Energy & Natural Resources United States Senate Hearing on Various National Park and Public Lands Bills November 18, 2020 Senator Lee, Senator Wyden, and members of
Coalition Speaks Out On NPS Alaska Jurisdiction Rule
For immediate release: 11/16/20 Contact: Emily Thompson; Em************@********ps.org; (202) 819-8622 The National Park Service (NPS) has issued a final rule that has gone far beyond a precedent set in Sturgeon v. Frost, a case in which the Supreme Court held that the NPS could not enforce a System-wide regulation prohibiting the operation of a hovercraft
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 Slams DOI Over Its LWCF Funding Projects List
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 10, 2020 WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the Department of the Interior published a list of projects it intends to allocate with the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s support. The list comes a week after the deadline, which the Trump administration inexplicably missed. As per the guidance laid out in
Coalition: NEPA Directive a “Waste of Taxpayer Money.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/10/20 MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Thompson; Em************@********ps.org; 202-758-3936 Coalition Calls NEPA Directive a “Waste of Taxpayer Money.” The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo directing federal agencies to prioritize aligning their National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures with the finalized Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations.
The Election Might Be Over—But Our Work As Travelers Isn’t
November 9, 2020 BY MEGAN SPURRELL November 9, 2020We spent days waiting for the 2020 election results, knowing that the final call would impact the world we live in, and, crucially, how we travel. At long last, we know that Joseph R. Biden is the president-elect—and Kamala Harris the first female, Black, and Indian-American vice
Coalition Talks Parks Post-Election
Phil Francis spoke with Conde Nast Traveler about how the election results could impact the travel industry. “Our national parks and public lands are meant to be enjoyed by all Americans and they will always need advocates, regardless of the election results. As a non-partisan organization, we will continue to fight to protect our
Coalition Pushes for More Description Regarding GAOA Maintenance List
Coalition Chair Phil Francis spoke with National Parks Traveler regarding DOI’s “priority list for tackling deferred maintenance projects in the National Park System and other public lands with funds generated through the Great American Outdoors Act.” While the list was presented to Congress, it failed to provide detailed descriptions of the projects. “It just seems to
Coalition Concerned Over Failure to Hit LWCF Project Deadline
As per the guidance laid out in the Dingell Act of 2019 and the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, the Department of the Interior was required to publish a list of allocations for the full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund by November 2, 2020. The Trump Administration missed this