February 27, 2025 Federal Court Finds Firing of Probationary Federal Employees Illegal Judge Alsup calls probationary federal employees “the lifeblood of our government” SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, presided over by Judge William H. Alsup, granted a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management
Coalition Joins Over 260 Groups in Opposition to House Budget Resolution
United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 February 24, 2025 Dear Representatives, As you prepare to take up a budget resolution as the first step in the reconciliation process, our organizations from the democracy, good government, labor, immigration, energy, environment, tax, budget, health, gender justice, human needs and other sectors representing millions of people
Coalition Joins Group of Unions, Small Businesses, Veterans, and Conservation Organizations and Seeks Injunction to Prevent Unlawful Firings
Coalition of Unions, Small Businesses, Veterans, and Conservation Organizations Seek Injunction to Prevent Unlawful Firings Amended Complaint also Targets Illegal “Five Things” Email February 24, 2025 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – In their lawsuit attempting to block the unlawful mass terminations of probationary federal employees, some of the nation’s largest and most influential public service unions,
Coalition Condemns Weekend Chaos Caused by Trump Administration
Coalition Condemns Weekend Chaos Caused by Trump Administration In response to an email sent to federal employees on Saturday, which demanded that federal workers summarize their accomplishments for the week, and additional messaging that warned that “failure to respond will be taken as resignation,” Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the
Coalition Joins Amicus Brief to Protect Wilderness Battlefield
Washington, DC – Today, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks filed a joint amicus brief, accompanied by a motion for leave to file such brief, in a pivotal legal challenge intended to protect Wilderness Battlefield, an area of Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National
Coalition Supports Maryland Bill HB-741 – Phase-Out Lead Ammunition
February 19, 2025 The Honorable Marc Korman, Chair Environment & Transportation Committee 250 Taylor House Office Building Annapolis, MD 21401 Re: HB 741 – Hunting – Nonlead Ammunition, et al., FAVORABLE Dear Chairman Korman, Vice Chair Boyce and Members of the Committee: Thank you for this opportunity to weigh in on this important issue on behalf
Coalition Supports EPA’s Proposed Disapproval of West Virginia’s Regional Haze Plan
Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN) * Allegheny-Blue Ridge Alliance Appalachian Mountain Advocates * Appalachian Voices * Breathe Project Carnegie Mellon University, CREATE Lab * Center for Coalfield Justice Christians For The Mountains * Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Eight Rivers Council * Elks Run Watershed Group Greenbrier River Watershed Association, Inc. * National
Coalition Joins 247 Organizations Opposing Bills Which Would Effectively Repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906
RE: Oppose S.220/H.R.521, which would effectively repeal the Antiquities Act of 1906 Dear Senators and Members of Congress, On behalf of the 247 undersigned organizations and our millions of members across the country, we write to strongly urge you to OPPOSE any legislative attempts to repeal or undermine the Antiquities Act, including S.220/H.R.521 recently introduced
USA Today: How National Park Service layoffs could stretch some parks to their limits
How National Park Service layoffs could stretch some parks to their limits By Eve Chen National parks have not been spared in the wave of federal government layoffs, and that could impact park visits heading into their busy season. “We could be putting several park units in very bad, sticky situations where they can’t manage
NPT: One-Thousand National Park Service Staff Fired, Seasonal Hiring Resuming
UPDATE | One-Thousand National Park Service Staff Fired, Seasonal Hiring Resuming By Kurt Repanshek February 14, 2025 Editor’s note: This updates with additional comment from a recently retired National Park Service division chief, a union official, and New Mexico’s congressional delegation. This is a developing story, be sure to check back for more updates. One-thousand
Shortsighted Layoffs Threaten Parks and Visitor Experience
Release Date: February 14, 2025 Media Contact: Amy Gilbert Fehir, Am*********@********ps.org, (202) 819-8622 Coalition: Shortsighted Layoffs Threaten Parks and Visitor Experience “We are Losing the Future Leaders of the NPS” As the current Administration fires probationary employees and reinstates seasonal job offers, Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s
Coalition Joins Comments on Draft Environmental Plans to Protect 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 February 13, 2025 Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Southern Nevada District Las Vegas Field Office 4701 North Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nevada 89130 Comments – Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Coalition Joins Request to Stop the Lava Ridge Wind Project to Protect the Viewshed of Minidoka National Historic Site
The Honorable Lisa Murkowski Chair Subcommittee on Interior & Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Jeff Merkley Ranking Member Subcommittee on Interior & Related Agencies Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Merkley: On behalf of our respective organizations, we
SFGATE.com: U.S. senators issue dire warning for national parks
U.S. senators issue dire warning for national parks By Ashley Harrell, National Parks Bureau Chief Feb 7, 2025 Twenty-two democratic and independent U.S. senators sent a letter Friday morning to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum imploring him to reconsider drastic measures taken by the Trump administration to reduce the workforce of
Coalition Supports Letter Sent to Secretary Burgum on NPS Staffing Concerns
Coalition Supports Letter Sent to Secretary Burgum on NPS Staffing Concerns The Coalition issued a statement of support for a letter sent today, calling on Secretary Burgum to, “immediately reissue seasonal employment offers for the National Park Service, officially rescind damaging and short-sighted deferred resignation and early retirement offers, and to instead work to
Coalition Speaks in Defense of Parks and Public Lands
A series of secretarial orders were recently issued, including Secretarial Order 3418 “Unleashing American Energy,” which mandates that the Department of the Interior launch an initial review of all lands withdrawn from fossil fuel and mining development, including hundreds of our national monuments. Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect
Comments on EPA’s Proposed Response to California’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan
Comments submitted via regulations.gov: https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-R09-OAR-2024-0459-0001 February 3, 2025 Subject: Comments on EPA’s Proposed Response to California’s Regional Haze State Implementation Plan Dear Acting Regional Director Cheree Peterson and Ms. Lawrence: We are writing on behalf of more than 3,200 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), who collectively
NPT: Safety Concerns Raised Over Loss of NPS Employees To Deferred Resignation
Safety Concerns Raised Over Loss of NPS Employees To Deferred Resignation By Kurt Repanshek January 31, 2025 Public safety in the National Park System could be jeopardized if a significant number of key National Park Service personnel decide to take the deferred resignation offer being dangled by the Trump administration as a way to
National Parks at Risk: The Impact of Federal Job Cuts
Release Date: January 31, 2025 Media Contact: Emily Thompson, Em************@********ps.org, 202-758-3936 National Parks at Risk: The Impact of Federal Job Cuts As the current Administration moves to eliminate federal jobs, Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement: “Our members represent more than 50,000
Coalition Speaks with LA Times: As Trump cuts federal jobs, even national parks are on the chopping block
As Trump cuts federal jobs, even national parks are on the chopping block By Jack Dolan LA Times Staff Writer Jan. 30, 2025 3 AM PT As the Trump administration rushes to cut spending and eliminate federal jobs, even the people who work at the national parks — among the country’s most beloved and least politicized
Coalition Joins Comments Submitted to the EPA on Florida Regional Haze
January 27, 2025 Pearlene Williams-Miles Multi-Air Pollutant Coordination Section Air Planning and Implementation Branch Air and Radiation Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 61 Forsyth Street SW Atlanta, Georgia 30303–8960 Electronic Filing via Regulations.gov Re: Comments on Proposed Air Plan Approval; Florida; Second Period Regional Haze Plan [EPA Docket No. EPA–R04–OAR–2021–0930] Dear Ms. Williams-Miles,
Coalition Joins Comments on Proposed Air Plan Approval for Michigan and Minnesota
The Environmental Protection Agency must revise its proposed action to address the fundamental flaws identified in our comments. This includes completing the necessary Best Available Retrofit Technology analyses by assessing the proposed new emission limits and the control train highlighted in these comments. The agency must also renotice and promulgate a Federal Implementation Plan that
Coalition Remains in Opposition to Fix Our Forests Act
Dear Members of the House of Representatives: On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, our organizations write to express our strong opposition to Chairman Westerman’s legislation, the “Fix Our Forest Act” which has not had any Committee process in the 119th Congress and will receive a floor vote on the week of January
Coalition Applauds Designation of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments
Release Date: January 7, 2025 Media Contact: Emily Thompson Em************@********ps.org 202-758-3936 Coalition Applauds Designation of Chuckwalla and Sáttítla National Monuments Today, President Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act to designate the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, both located in California. Following the announcement, Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive
Coalition Joins Comments on BLM – Copper Rays Solar Project Draft EIS to Protect 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 December 19, 2024 BLM Pahrump Field Office Attn: Copper Rays Solar Project 4701 N. Torrey Pines Drive Las Vegas, Nev. 89130 BL***********************@*lm.gov Comments – Copper Rays Solar Project – Draft Environmental Impact Statement