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
Coalition Signs on to Comments Regarding USFS Proposed Revision to Oil and Gas Regs
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