The Senate has confirmed Charles Sams III to lead the National Park Service, making him the first Senate-confirmed director of the agency since the Obama administration. The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (CPANP), a nonprofit advocacy organization representing current, former, and retired employees of the National Park Service with over 40,000 collective years of stewardship of America’s most precious natural and cultural resources, is celebrating the confirmation.
“We are relieved to finally have a Senate-confirmed director of the National Park Service in place,” said Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
“The NPS has a long and storied history but recent challenges, including declining employee morale and underfunding, have been worsened by the lack of a Senate-confirmed and permanent director to lead the agency.
Mr. Sams understands the agency and values stewardship of the environment in a way that aligns very closely with the NPS mission. He has the background, knowledge, and passion to become a strong leader and advocate for the National Park System. We believe he is committed to making a difference and being a leader that NPS employees will admire and respect.
There is much work to be done. We look forward to working with Mr. Sams to protect national monuments and public lands, advance the America the Beautiful initiative, combat climate change, ensure that appropriate funding is in place for our national parks and programs, and support NPS employees who work tirelessly to preserve and protect our national parks.”
Release Date: November 19, 2021
Media Contact: Emily Thompson
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