FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/16/20 MEDIA CONTACT: Emily Thompson; Em************@********ps.org; 202-758-3936 Coalition Calls for Closures at National Parks In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued guidance that calls for a nationwide halt to gatherings of 50 people or more. In addition, Americans are
America’s Best Idea at Risk
Our national parks are America’s Best Idea. They protect our irreplaceable natural and cultural resources, preserve the stories of our past, and connect Americans to the outdoors. Land Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) funding is crucial to the successful management of our national parks and the continued protection of the irreplaceable natural and cultural resources
Coalition Signs on to Collective Comments Regarding Proposed NEPA Changes
Ms. Mary Neumayr Chairman Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place NW Washington, DC 20503 Attn: Docket No. CEQ-2019 0003 March 10, 2020 Re: Attachment I—NEPA Archive Dear Chairman Neumayr: The following compiled materials, included as Attachment I to the environmental coalition letter, are pertinent to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process as it
Backpacker: Here’s How the Presidential Candidates’ Public Lands Plans Stack Up
By Elizabeth Miller Mar 10, 2020 While Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden have spoken at length about fighting climate change, conservation groups say their plans for America’s public lands are big on promises and short on details. In the 11 years that Phil Francis was Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s deputy superintendent, he saw air quality
Coalition Comments On Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act
March 10, 2020 Edward Boling Associate Director for the National Environmental Policy Act Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20503 Subject: Comments on “Update to the Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)” {Docket No. CEQ-2019-0003} Dear Mr. Boling: I am writing to you
Testimony of Philip A. Francis, Jr. Chair of the Executive Council
Statement for the Record Philip A. Francis, Jr. Chair of the Executive Council Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations House of Representatives Hearing on FY 2021 Budget for the National Park Service March 6, 2020 Rep. McCollum, Rep. Joyce, and members of the subcommittee, thank
Coalition Celebrates Movement on Combined Bill to Protect National Parks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 3/5/20 Coalition Celebrates Movement on Combined Bill to Protect National Parks “We are celebrating the positive progress of a combined bill that will make an incredible difference to the protection and preservation of our national parks and public lands. As life-long stewards of our national parks, we know what a difference
Coalition: National Park Visitation Demands Greater National Park Service Budget
Coalition: National Park Visitation Demands Greater National Park Service Budget By Kurt Repanshek on March 2nd, 2020 © National Parks Traveler While visitation to the National Park System remains strong, the same can’t be said of the National Park Service’s ability to welcome those visitors and preserve the parks’ resources, according to the
Coalition Testifies at NEPA Public Hearing in Washington, DC
Statement of Amy Fehir Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Regarding Proposed Revisions to CEQ Regulations for the Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act Washington, DC Hearing February 25, 2020 Good evening. My name is Amy Fehir. I am a former National Park Service employee and the current Executive Director of the Coalition to
Coalition Supports Fair Return for Public Lands Act of 2020
Today, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the bipartisan Fair Returns for Public Lands Act of 2020 to update the nation’s antiquated public lands royalty system and ensure that taxpayers get fair returns on leases of public lands for oil and gas production. The legislation modernizes the public lands leasing system
Ahead of Testimony, Coalition Issues Statement on NEPA Changes
Ahead of Testimony, Coalition Issues Statement on NEPA Changes “Current NEPA procedures have long provided a critical mechanism for ensuring that the National Park Service fulfills its mission to conserve parks unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. And a key factor in making good decisions that protect parks has been strong citizen involvement.
Coalition Sends Letter in Opposition to 1801 Series Conversion Initiative
2/14/20 Mr. David Vela Acting Director National Park Service 1849 C Street NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Acting Director Vela: I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (the Coalition) and in partnership with the Association of National Park Rangers, to express our grave concern over the initiative
Coalition Chair Comments on Rising NPS Visitation and Declining Staff
Too many people? Great Smoky Mountains National Park hits record visitation in 2019 KAREN CHÁVEZ | THE CITIZEN-TIMES Updated 6:14 p.m. EST Feb. 13, 2020 Tobias Miller has had his nose to the ground at Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the past 18 years, building, fixing and maintaining the vast network of forest trails
Public Lands Should Not Be Sold to Balance the Budget
Today was the nomination hearing for Judy Shelton, President Trump’s latest nominee for the Federal Reserve Board. Shelton has expressed the view that the U.S. government should sell-off its “numerous federal land holdings” in order to “expedite the achievement of a balanced budget.” Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks,
Coalition Testifies at NEPA Public Hearing
Statement of Sarah Bransom Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Regarding Proposed Revisions to CEQ Regulations for the Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act Denver, Colorado Hearing February 11, 2020 Good morning. My name is Sarah Bransom. I am presenting this testimony on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. Our group
Coalition Denounces Massive Cuts to DOI Budget in President’s Proposed Budget
Coalition Denounces Massive Cuts to DOI Budget in President’s Proposed Budget WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the White House released its proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021, which includes massive cuts to major domestic programs. The Trump Administration’s proposed budget includes cuts to the Department of Interior funding, which includes a 97% cut in discretionary
Coalition Condemns Final Management Plans for Utah National Monuments
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, February 06, 2020 CONTACT: Emily Thompson, 202-758-3936, Em************@********ps.org Coalition Condemns Final Management Plans for Utah National Monuments WASHINGTON, DC — This morning, the Interior Department finalized resource management plans for the reduced Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah by releasing two Records of Decision. The decision
Oppose Eagle Crest Legislation
February 3, 2020 The Honorable Chris Holden and Laura Friedman Assembly Utilities and Energy and Natural Resources Committees State Capitol Sacramento, CA 95814 Re: Opposition to Eagle Crest Legislation Dear Chair Holden and Chair Friedman, We write to express our opposition to legislation directing the procurement by the Independent System Operator of expensive long-duration
Coalition Participates in Outdoor Retailer Panel on Parks and Climate Change
Coalition Member Gary Davis recently served as a panelist for the session Parks in Peril: National Parks in a Changing Climate at Outdoor Retailer, a business-to-business outdoor sports show for those working in the industry. Several hundred people participated in the session, which included a lively discussion focused on the evolving role of science in
Member OP-ED: Bill Would Balance Interest in Parks
My name is Doug Morris and I served 40 years with the National Park Service. I live in Montana and serve as an executive council member for the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. The purpose of this letter is to urge U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte to cosponsor the bipartisan House bill, H.R. 3225, the
Coalition Comments on Electric Bicycles in NPS Alaskan Parks
January 29, 2020 National Park Service, Attn: Compendiums Alaska Regional Office 240 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 Dear Alaska Regional Office: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,700 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition).The Coalition is a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of
Prominent Park Advocates and Leaders Take Battle Over Atlantic Coast Pipeline to the Supreme Court
Today, the National Parks Conservation Association joined the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and prominent park advocates Jon Jarvis, former director of the National Park Service, and Pam Underhill, former Superintendent of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in filing a joint amicus brief supporting conservation respondents in U.S. Forest Service, et al. v. Cowpasture
Coalition Joins “Amici curiae” Brief to The Supreme Court of the United States
Coalition Joins “Amici curiae” Brief to The Supreme Court of the United States Nos. 18-1584 & 18-1587 ================================================================================================================ In The Supreme Court of the United States • UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE, ET AL., Petitioners, v. COWPASTURE RIVER PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION, ET AL., Respondents. • ATLANTIC COAST PIPELINE, LLC, Petitioner, v. COWPASTURE RIVER PRESERVATION ASSOCIATION, ET
Coalition Requests Extension of Comment Period for NEPA Update
January 20, 2020 Mary Neumayr, Chair Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20503 Edward Boling, Associate Director for the National Environmental Policy Act Council on Environmental Quality 730 Jackson Place, N.W. Washington, DC 20503 Subject: Request for a 60 day Extension of Public Comment Period on “Update to the Regulations for Implementing
Coalition Applauds Legislation to Curtail Oil and Gas Leasing
Senator Cortez Masto introduced legislation to end the leasing of land with low to no oil and gas potential. Coalition Chair Phil Francis issued the following short statement: “Our public lands leasing system prioritizes oil and gas development over everything else. Leasing lands with little to no potential for drilling, in many cases on the