November 2, 2020 Submitted via regulations.gov USDA-Forest Service Attn: Director-MGM Staff 1617 Cole Boulevard, Building 17 Lakewood, CO 80401 Re: Proposed revisions to Oil and Gas Resources regulations, 36 CFR Part 228, Subpart E RIN 0596-AD33 To Whom It May Concern: The undersigned submit these comments on the proposed rule issued by the Forest Service
Coalition Discusses the Future of the NPS in NPT Podcast
November 1st, 2020 How might the 2020 presidential election impact the National Park Service? Former National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis, Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, and Phil Francis, chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, discuss that question. Listen to the Podcast
Coalition Signs on To Comments Involving Utah Oil and Gas Lease Sales
Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office Attn: Angela Wadman 440 W 200 S #500 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 October 27, 2020 To the Bureau of Land Management: The undersigned organizations are writing to provide public comment on the Supplemental Analysis for Greenhouse Gas Emissions Related to Oil and Gas Leasing in Utah
Decision to Open Up Tongass National Forest to Development is Devastating
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks slammed President Trump’s decision to open up Tongass National Forest to logging and industry, jeopardizing the world’s largest intact temperate rainforest. This forest has been called the “lungs of the country,” and is home to numerous and diverse species and old-growth forest. Phil Francis, Chair of the
Coalition Continues Advocacy Through Virtual Meetings
The Coalition has participated in several meetings with the Office of Management and Budget that have been focused on issues that impact our national parks and public lands. The discussions included topics such as the implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act and the use of science as a guiding principle of park stewardship. These meetings
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 Joins Over 100 Organizations in Opposition to OMB Training Memo
Re: OMB circular M-20-34, “Training in the Federal Government,” and the September 22nd Executive Order on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping October 1, 2020 Dear Senators and Representatives: On behalf of our millions of members and supporters across the country, we write with deep concern about — and strong opposition to — the September 4th 2020
Coalition Testifies at House Oversight Committee Hearing
Statement of James G. Northup Executive Council Member, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Committee on Natural Resources U.S. House of Representatives September 29, 2020 Representative Cox, Representative Gohmert, and Members of the Subcommittee; Good Afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. My name is Jim
Coalition Joins Comments On Oil and Gas Leasing Near Chaco Culture
September 25, 2020 BLM Farmington Field Office, Attn.: Sarah Scott, Project Manager, 6251 College Blvd, Suite A, Farmington, NM87402 Re: Comments on the Farmington Mancos-Gallup Draft RMP Amendment and EIS Dear Ms. Scott: Please accept the following comments on the Farmington Mancos-Gallup Draft Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMPA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) from Archaeology
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 Signs On to Public Comment Extension Letter
The Honorable Sonny Perdue Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250 The Honorable Vicki Christiansen Chief U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service 201 14th Street, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20227 September 24, 2020 Dear Secretary Perdue and Chief Christiansen: Given the ongoing public health crisis as a result of COVID-19, the
Coalition Voices Support for Senator Bennet’s Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Bills
September 21, 2020 Today, U.S. Senator Michael Bennet introduced two bills to tackle the growing orphaned oil well crisis in the short and long term while restoring robust public participation and Tribal consultation during decisions about whether public lands should be leased for drilling. Underlying these crises is the outdated federal oil and gas
Coalition Joins Comments on “Habitat” Definition Under ESA
September 3, 2020 Gary Frazer Assistant Director for Endangered Species Ecological Services Program U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 2204 Samuel D. Rauch, III Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs Office of Protected Resources National Marine Fisheries Service 1315 East-West Highway Silver Spring, MD 2091 Re: Comments on Proposed
NPS FOIA Response: Closure of Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
On August 18 the Coalition submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the NPS regarding the closure of portions of Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial on August 17 to allow for filming of a Republican Campaign advertisement featuring Vice President Mike Pence. A copy of our request can be found HERE. The NPS recently responded
Member Oped: Great American Outdoors Act is worth celebrating, especially in Maine
In a year full of unexpected challenges and extreme partisanship, I am particularly grateful for a cause for celebration. The recent Great American Outdoors Act has provided just such an opportunity. With an eye on the future, both houses of Congress have passed legislation recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting our irreplaceable natural
Coalition Joins Protest of Oil and Gas Lease Sales
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance – Center for Biological Diversity – Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks – Great Old Broads for Wilderness – Living Rivers – National Parks Conservation Association – Natural Resources Defense Council – Old Spanish Trail Association – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility – Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club – Waterkeeper
Coalition: Acting Director Does Not Understand How Parks Operate
Margaret Everson, the recently named Acting Director of the National Park Service, has stated that a lack of park employees due to the pandemic should not be a reason to limit access to parks. Ms. Everson went on to instruct NPS Regional Directors that, “staffing limitations should not be a constraining factor in providing
Coalition Submits FOIA Requests
August 19, 2020 The Coalition submitted two FOIA requests this month. The first was yet another request sent to the NPS, asking for the number of COVID-19 cases to date among Park Service employees. We have not received an NPS response to this request, nor any of the previous requests. Our second FOIA request relates
Coalition Condemns Decision to Open Arctic Refuge to Drilling
The Trump administration announced its plan to open up portions of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas development, a move that overturns six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said that the department will auction
Coalition Celebrates Decision to Defer UT Lease Sales
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Steve Bloch, Legal Director, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 801-859-1552, st***@**wa.org Anne Hawke, Senior Press Secretary, Natural Resources Defense Council, 646-823-4518, ah****@**dc.org Liam Kelly, Communications Manager, National Parks Conservation Association, 213-814-8666 Emily Thompson, Associate Director of Engagement, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, 202-758-3936, Em************@********ps.org Salt Lake City, UT (August 12, 2020) – The Bureau of Land
Coalition Objects to Proposed Political Speech at Gettysburg National Military Park
President Trump recently announced he is considering both Gettysburg National Military Park and the White House as the setting for his upcoming speech to accept the Republican Presidential nomination. In light of this announcement, Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, has sent a letter to the Acting Director of
Coalition Comments on Acting Director Vela’s Departure
Coalition Chair Phil Francis issued the following statement to Roll Call regarding Acting Director Vela’s Retirement: “David Vela is a career employee of the National Park Service. We wish he and his family well as he transitions from the NPS. David has always expressed his support and love for the green and gray. For all
Success Story: The Great American Outdoors Act
The Great American Outdoors Act – a landmark piece of legislation that is one of the greatest conservation efforts in a generation – has been signed into law. It fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a program that invests in national parks, public lands, and communities across the country
Coalition Signs on To Letter Opposing Pendley Nomination
Re: Reject the nomination of William Perry Pendley for Director of the Bureau of Land Management August 3, 2020 To the Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee: On behalf of the undersigned organizations, Tribes, and businesses and our millions of members and supporters nationwide, we urge you to reject the nomination of