August 12, 2020 Senator Lisa Murkowski Chairman, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senator Joe Manchin Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Dear Chairman Murkowski and Ranking Member Manchin, On behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, a non-profit organization representing over 1,800 current and former National Park
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 Chair Comments On What Comes After Great American Outdoors Act
President Trump Has Signed The Great American Outdoors Act: Now What? By Kurt Repanshek – August 5th, 2020 4:22pm Passage of the Great American Outdoors Act has been hailed as one of the greatest conservation measures to come out of Congress in decades, as it will send $6.5 billion to the National Park Service to battle deferred
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
Coalition Talks Park Updates on NPT Podcast
National Parks Traveler Episode 77: July’s National Parks News Roundup By Kurt Repanshek – August 2nd, 2020 In this week’s show, we look back at the top news stories from the park system in July. There was the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act by Congress, the ongoing issue of the coronavirus pandemic
Coalition Signs on to FY21 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Letter
July 23, 2020 Dear Representative, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition , ask that you support the FY21 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations bill as part of the minibus package. We also urge you to oppose any policy riders that harm our national parks. We support the robust $200
Upcoming Webinar: Take Action – Oil and Gas Leasing
July 27, 2020 Join us for a virtual discussion on oil and gas leasing and the impacts on our national parks and public lands. Learn about the leasing process, the Coalition’s advocacy efforts, and how you can become an advocate and help protect our parks. The event will feature Matt Kirby, the Director of Energy
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Applauds Momentous Movement on Great American Outdoors Act
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the Great American Outdoors Act. The bill now moves to President Trump’s desk for his signature. This act would fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a popular program that invests in national parks, public lands, and communities across the country.
Coalition Signs On to Comments on Migratory Bird Treaty Act
July 20, 2020 BY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION Via Federal eRulemaking Portal www.regulations.gov Attn: FWS-HQ-MB-2018-0090 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service MS: JAO/lN 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 Re: Docket No. FWS-HQ-MB-2018-0090, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Regulations Governing Take of Migratory Birds Please accept the following comments on behalf of over 35 undersigned organizations, which
Coalition Supports Legislation to End Non-Competitive Leasing
U.S. Senator Jon Tester introduced legislation requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue all oil and gas leases through competitive auction, ending noncompetitive leasing and encouraging government inefficiency. Noncompetitive leases are lands that the market has determined have little or no potential for oil and gas development. They are commonly purchased by
Coalition: NEPA Changes Are Unacceptable
This administration continues to prioritize the interests of oil and gas companies and industry over public health and the protection of our planet. This is unacceptable. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a critical tool that allows the National Park Service and other federal agencies to protect and preserve irreplaceable natural and cultural
Coalition Joins Partners in Comments on Upcoming Oil and Gas Lease Sale
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 – Partnership for the National Trails System – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility – The
400+ Coalition Members Sign on To Letter in Support of Great American Outdoors Act
July 9, 2020 Dear Representatives, We are writing on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees of the National Park Service (NPS). The Coalition studies, educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation of America’s National Park System. As
Coalition Files Joint Amicus Brief in Opposition to SAFE Rule
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks joined the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and filed an amicus brief with the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, a legal challenge to the Trump Administration’s attempt to eliminate California’s authority to apply its own automobile emission standards under the Clean Air Act. In the brief, we
Success Story: An End to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
In a tremendous victory for our national parks and public lands, two of the nation’s largest utility companies, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, announced that they have canceled the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, which would have carried natural gas across the Appalachian Trail, as well as the Blue Ridge Parkway. In January, the Coalition
Coalition Submits FOIA Request Related to July 4 Events
July 2, 2020 Charis Wilson, FOIA Officer P.O. Box 25287 12795 W. Alameda Parkway Denver, CO 80225 Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request Dear Ms. Wilson: Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”), 5 U.S.C. § 552, et seq., and the regulations of the Department of the Interior, 43 C.F.R., Part 2, I
Member Oped: Leasing Plans Threaten Utah’s National Parks
The Salt Lake Tribune 7/1/2020 By Phil Brueck | Special to The Tribune As we continue to navigate the fallout from the pandemic and work to establish a “new normal,” many of us Utahns are still focused on balancing the demands of our personal and professional lives, providing for our families and thinking about
Member Oped: Mount Rushmore Fireworks A Bad Idea
Opinion by Cheryl Schreier July 1, 2020 at 4:20 p.m. EDT Cheryl Schreier was superintendent of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial from 2010 to 2019. It has been more than 10 years since fireworks were last seen at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The fireworks were canceled in 2010, my first year as superintendent of the
Coalition Submits Another FOIA Request Related to COVID-19
July 1, 2020 Charis Wilson, FOIA Officer, P.O. Box 25287 12795 W. Alameda Parkway Denver, CO 80225 Subject: Freedom of Information Act Request Dear Ms. Wilson: This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). As background for this request: We submitted a previous FOIA request on April 20, 2020; it was
Coalition Signs on to Letter Regarding Air Quality Standards
June 29, 2020 Andrew Wheeler, Administrator Environmental Protection Agency 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, D.C. 20460 Submitted via regulations.gov RE: Secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter; Proposed Rule; Docket No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2015-0072 Dear Administrator Wheeler, We, the undersigned public lands and conservation organizations, strongly oppose the proposal to retain the current, inadequate secondary
Coalition Submits Comments on NPS Jurisdiction in Alaska
June 29, 2020 Donald Striker, Acting Regional Director National Park Service Alaska Regional Office 240 West 5th Avenue Anchorage, AK 99501 Submitted via regulations.gov Subject: Comments on Proposed Rule – National Park Service Jurisdiction in Alaska RIN: 1024-AE63 Dear Mr. Striker: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition
Coalition Signs On to Support H.R. 2, the “Moving Forward Act.”
June 29, 2020 Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Chairman DeFazio, Ranking Member Graves, Chairman Grijalva, and Ranking Member Bishop: On behalf of our organizations and our millions of members and supporters, we want to thank you for the positive wildlife and public lands conservation provisions in H.R. 2, the “Moving Forward Act.” We appreciate