June 19, 2020 The Honorable Rob Wallace Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Subject: National Park Service Final Rule on Hunting and Trapping in National Preserves in Alaska (RIN 1024-AE38) Dear Assistant Secretary Wallace: We write to you on behalf
Yellowstone National Park’s Reopening Protocol is Commendable
June 18, 2020 Dear Acting Director Vela: I am writing to you on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks to commend Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly, his staff, and local public health partners for their outstanding management and implementation of the park’s COVID-19 reopening plan. We are impressed and greatly
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Applauds Momentous Movement on Great American Outdoors Act
WASHINGTON, DC — Earlier today, the United States Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act by a vote of 73-25. The bill now moves to the House for final passage. 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
Coalition Joins Partners in Support of INVEST in America Act
June 16, 2020 Dear Members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, write in support of the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act (INVEST in America Act), especially the increased funding levels for federal lands to help
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Reacts to President’s Order on NEPA
On June 4, 2020, the President released an executive order waiving the environmental review process for some infrastructure projects and using the pandemic as justification, writing, “as agencies respond to situations involving immediate threats to human health or safety, or immediate threats to valuable natural resources, they must consider whether there is sufficient time
Amid pandemic, Interior moves forward with enormous oil and gas drilling plan on public lands near National Parks
Contact: Liam Kelly, National Parks Conservation Association, 213-814-8666, lk****@**ca.org Landon Newell, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, 801.428.3991, la****@**wa.org Salt Lake City, UT – The Trump administration has released its proposal to open up more than 110,000 acres of public land to oil and gas drilling, most of which lies in southern Utah near Canyonlands,
Coalition Chair Talks Great American Outdoors Act on This Green Earth
Phil Francis from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks joins Nell and Chris on This Green Earth to talk about “The Great American Outdoors Act”, a bill designed to provide full and permanent funding for LWCF and help address the deferred maintenance backlog in national parks.
Coalition Comments on New DOI Acting Orders
Posted to The Hill – 06/09/20 06:00 AM EDT By Rebecca Beitsch and Rachel Frazin A new Interior Department move to leave controversial temporary leaders in place indefinitely may violate laws on filling vacancies, legal experts say, and skirts requirements for Senate confirmation. In a statement provided to The Hill on Friday, Interior said
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Applauds Introduction of the Bill in the House of Representatives, Senate Cloture Vote
WASHINGTON, DC — Earlier today, the US Senate held a cloture vote to advance the Great American Outdoors Act just days after the legislation was also introduced in the US House of Representatives. The Great American Outdoors Act would fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a popular program that invests in public
Coalition Condemns President Trump’s Removal of Marine Protections on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument
President Trump announced Friday that he will remove protections on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, a nearly 5,000-square-mile area southeast of Cape Cod that is home to endangered whales and sea turtles, and will open the area up to commercial fishing. In reaction to the announcement, Phil Francis, chair of the coalition
Parks Group Demands Answers to Park Police’s Unprovoked and Aggressive Actions Against Peaceful Protesters
David Bernhardt Secretary of the Interior Department of the Interior 1849 C St NW Washington, DC 20240 **Submitted via email** June 4, 2020 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, We write with deep concern about the recent actions of the United States Park Police during ongoing protests in Washington, DC. Like protests around the country, those in our
Coalition Participates in House Virtual Forum on Parks and Pandemic
Statement of Philip A. Francis, Jr. Chair of the Executive Council Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Committee on Natural Resources Virtual Forum House of Representatives “Not So Grand Opening: Examining Local Perspectives on the Department of the Interior’s Plan to Reopen National Parks During the Coronavirus
Comments on Proposed Rule titled “General Provisions; Electric Bicycles.”
June 2, 2020 Jay Calhoun, Regulations Program Manager National Park Service 849 C Street NW, MS-2472 Washington, DC 20240 Subject: Comments on Proposed Rule titled “General Provisions; Electric Bicycles.” RIN 1024-AE61. Dear Mr. Calhoun: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition),
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Condemns President’s Use of Violence
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks Condemns President’s Use of Violence Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, issued the following statement: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks condemns the recent and continued attacks on people of color in this country. We mourn the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor,
Coalition Submits FOIA Request for Recent NPS COVID-19 Numbers
June 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
Member OP-ED: Killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens on NPS lands in Alaska is wrong
Many people would agree that hunting methods such as killing black bear mothers with cubs in their dens, “harvesting” grizzly bears over bait, “taking” female wolves and coyotes and their pups during denning season, are deeply offensive, particularly on public lands, like the national preserves managed by the National Park Service in Alaska. Yet, Secretary David Bernhardt’s Interior Department
Coalition Chair Is Guest on Great Battlefield Podcast
Phil Francis joins The Great Battlefield podcast to talk about his 40-year career working for our National Parks and how The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is working to preserve our Parks and Park Service at a time when they are under attack. Listen here.
Coalition Praises Senate Movement on Great American Outdoors Act
Former National Park Service Employees Praise Senate Movement on Great American Outdoors Act, Urge Swift Passage WASHINGTON, DC — Late yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate would take up the Great American Outdoors Act when it returns next month. The legislation would fully-fund the popular conservation program investing in public
Member OP-ED: The outdoors is a good getaway amid pandemic. Just not the Grand Canyon. Don’t reopen it yet
Grand Canyon National Park is an icon. It attracts visitors from all over the world who flock to the South Rim and other viewpoints within the park that offer a glimpse of the famous Canyon. As the pandemic continues to impact our lives, when social distancing is still the name of the game, reopening this
Coalition Joins Partners In Call for Wildlife Stimulus Funding
May 18, 2020 Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, The COVID-19 pandemic is a national crisis and the need to address the health and safety of communities as well as the economic futures of people across the nation is paramount. As Congress works to restart the American economy and put people back
Coalition Condemns Final NPS Alaska Hunting Rule
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/20/20 The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks expressed outrage at the National Park Service’s decision to announce the final rule that amends its regulations to adopt the state of Alaska’s approved hunting practices, which target predator species, and include killing black bear sows with cubs at den sites; killing wolves
Coalition Rolls Out Advocacy Toolkit on Reopening Parks
The Coalition has developed a toolkit that summarizes our position on when national parks should safely reopen. We urge you to take a look and reach out to your Congressional representatives or share some of our guidance on your social media. If you need some additional information, please visit our Advocacy Guide, which provides some best practices
Member Oped: Halt oil and gas lease sales and protect Carlsbad Caverns
Rick Smith and Cherry Payne, Coalition to Protect America’s Parks Published Carlsbad Current-Argus May 14, 2020 Each year, over 450,000 people visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park to marvel at otherworldly cave formations and the flying rivers of Mexican free-tail bats departing each evening for their nightly meal. The park is recognized as a national treasure and
Member OpEd: Oil and Gas Lease Sales Should be Paused During the Pandemic Crisis
Opinion: Oil and gas lease sales should be paused during the coronavirus crisis – Sheridan Steele Special to The Colorado Sun The COVID-19 pandemic has swept through the United States and changed our daily lives. Complying with orders from city, state and national leaders, those who are able to in Colorado are staying home to
Coalition Comments on Acting Positions in DOI
– UPDATE – Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Sues Over “Acting” Positions For National Park Service, BLM Directors Posted by National Parks Traveler Staff (NPT)- May 11th, 2020 NPT Editor’s note: This updates with reaction from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and National Parks Conservation Association. David Vela, the de facto director of