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
OP-ED: Restore oil and gas leasing master plans
CPANP Executive Council member Sarah Bransom submitted this Op-Ed to The Daily Camera, Boulder, CO – 1/30/20 My name is Sarah Bransom and I am a retired National Park Service professional. I spent 32 years in federal service and now serve as a member of the executive council for the Coalition to Protect America’s National
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
Member OP-ED: Trump is Threatening America’s Cornerstone of Environmental Law to Allow for Backroom Deals
TRUMP IS THREATENING AMERICA’S CORNERSTONE OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAW TO ALLOW FOR BACKROOM DEALS | NEWSWEEK OPINION JUDITH HAZEN CONNERY The Trump administration’s proposal to exempt some of the nation’s most controversial developments, such as pipelines and mines, from scrutiny under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is more than just a bone thrown to corporate
Coalition Condemns Proposed Changes to NEPA
For Immediate Release: 1/9/20 “We strongly condemn the administration’s proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The National Park Service (NPS) is charged by law to protect our nation’s irreplaceable natural and cultural resources and NEPA is acritical tool that allows the NPS to meet their fundamental mission of protecting and preserving our
Coalition Comments: Sochan Gathering for Traditional Purposes at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
January 5, 2020 Superintendent Cassius M. Cash National Park Service Great Smoky Mountains National Park 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, Tennessee 37738 Dear Superintendent Cash: 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,
Coalition Comments – Ebike Use on Trails
January 4, 2020 Superintendent Craig Kenkel National Park Service Cuyahoga Valley National Park 15610 Vaughn Road Brecksville, OH 44141 Dear Superintendent Kenkel: 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 the
Coalition Talks Endangered Parks with National Park Traveler
Endangered and Threatened Units of The National Park System By Kurt Repanshek editor, National Park Traveler A commercial “spaceport” proposed to be built just west of Cumberland Island National Seashore would send rockets over the seashore and its wilderness/NPS file For flora and fauna, being listed under the protections of the Endangered Species Act marks a
Coalition Participates in Telepresser
Coalition Executive Council member Mark Butler recently participated in a telepresser about the fourth consecutive oil and gas lease sale in Nevada. This sale involves approximately 775,000 acres of public lands located in Lincoln and White Pine Counties, within the scenic vistas and views of Great Basin National Park. The call was set up to
Coalition Statement on House Spending Packages
Coalition Statement on House Spending Packages For Immediate Release: 12/18/19 “We are pleased to see the increase to the National Park Service budget and appreciate the bipartisan investment in our national parks and public lands. Our national parks and national park service employees help to ensure that irreplaceable natural and cultural resources are preserved for
Coalition Joins Partners in Opposing BLM Move in Politico Ad
The Coalition joined 11 other partner organizations and signed on to an ad from the Public Lands Foundation, opposing the relocation of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) headquarters and employees from Washington, D.C. to locations out west. The full page ad ran in Politico on December 10, 2019.
OP-ED: Maine needs a fully funded LWCF
Op-ed by Mike Murray: Maine needs a fully funded LWCF The Land and Water Conservation Fund is our nation’s most important program to conserve irreplaceable landscapes and cultural heritage sites. The fund has received bipartisan support throughout 10 administrations, protected more than 7.6 million acres of land, and supported more than 41,000 parks, ballfields
Op-ed: For the good of Maine, the Land and Water Conservation Fund must be fully funded.
By Sheridan Steele, Opinion guest column • December 7, 2019 10:39 am One of the greatest gifts Maine could receive this holiday season is full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to be included in the fiscal year 2020 federal budget. LWCF enjoys wide bipartisan backing and is our nation’s most important program to conserve
Coalition Chair Speaks with NPT on E-bikes in National Parks
A lawsuit filed to overturn the Interior Department’s move to expand e-Bike access in the National Park System also takes aim at the Trump administration’s preference for appointing “acting” officials rather than submitting nominees for Senate confirmation. PEER Sues To Overturn Expanded E-Bike Access In National Parks
OP-ED: Congress must keep promise on conservation fund
Brenda Barrett Wednesday November 20, 2019 01:14 PM Guest opinion: Congress must keep promise on conservation fund Pennsylvania counts on program that protects landscapes, cultural heritage sites. The Land and Water Conservation Fund, or LWCF, is our nation’s preeminent conservation program protecting our irreplaceable landscapes and cultural heritage sites. I should know; I have served
Coalition Meets with Portland Press Herald Editorial Board
Coalition Executive Council member Mike Murray recently met with the editorial staff at the Portland Press Herald to discuss the importance of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Herald published this editorial following their conversation. Editorials Published – December 2, 2019 Our View: Land and Water Conservation Fund needs protecting The federal program has purchased
Coalition Members Meet with Everett Daily Herald Editorial Board
Coalition members Rick Smith and Bill Wade recently met with the editorial staff at the Everett Daily Herald to discuss the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the deferred maintenance backlog at national parks. The Herald published this editorial following their conversation. Editorial: Summit in sight for two parks funding bills
Coalition Chair Comments on Rangers Ordered to the Border
By Karen Chávez and Trevor Hughes USA TODAY Posted Nov 23, 2019 at 2:29 PM The Trump administration has ordered rangers from national parks around the country to travel to the U.S.-Mexico border to fight illegal immigration and drug traffickers. It’s an effort that comes as the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives has refused to fund
OP-ED: Uranium mining threatens water, natural heritage
By Patricia J. Kelly and Robert Arnberger Special to the Arizona Daily Star Nov 17, 2019 The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writers. Arizonans know that water is life; it is vital to us all and sustains our livelihoods. We cannot afford to let powerful industry interests sacrifice our water to
The National Park System Deserves Better
The National Park System Deserves Better Release Date: 11/7/19 Phil Francis, Chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, released a statement in response to the recent report by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) on evaporating staff levels at the National Park Service (NPS). “The agency figures released by PEER are incredibly concerning.