Great American investments: National park projects accelerate with funding Brett French Feb 4, 2024 Yellowstone National Park has bustled with construction activity in recent years, and not just because the record-breaking flood of 2022 wiped out roads, bridges, buildings and other infrastructure. The Great American Outdoors Act, passed by Congress in a bipartisan vote in
Coalition Supports Extending Funding for the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund
April 17, 2023 Dear Chairman Tiffany, Ranking Member Neguse and other Members of the Federal Lands Subcommittee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition write in support of extending funding for the National Parks and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund, as part of the Great American Outdoors Act, for at
Coalition Joins Partners in Expressing Deep Concerns Over Proposed Leasing Plans for Clara Barton NHS
December 9, 2022 Dear Superintendent Charles Cuvelier: We are a group concerned with the future of the Clara Barton National Historic Site. Many of us are professional historians of the United States with considerable expertise in women’s history, public history, U.S. history from before the Civil War to its aftermath to the Progressive Era, the
Op-Ed: Our National Parks Still Need Fixing
Our National Parks Still Need Fixing By Theresa Pierno and Michael Murray, opinion contributors – 08/07/22 Two years ago, we witnessed a historic moment for our national parks with the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act — the biggest investment our country has made in our parks in more than 50 years. Even during
The Second Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
As we approach the second anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act, I am happy to report that one beneficiary of this groundbreaking legislation is the George Washington Memorial Parkway. My family drives often drives along the Parkway, and we have many favorite sites. We watch planes take off and land from Gravelly Point and
Coalition Comments on NPS Deferred Maintenance
UPDATE | National Park System’s Deferred Maintenance Bill Nearly $22 Billion By Kurt Repanshek – May 9th, 2022 Editor’s note: This updates with reaction from the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. In the roughly three years since the National Park Service under the Trump administration decided it wasn’t helpful to announce the dollar amount
Coalition Joins Sign On Commending GAOA Hearing
February 8, 2022 Dear Chairman King, Ranking Member Daines and Members of the Committee, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition (Coalition), thank the Subcommittee on National Parks for hosting the important upcoming hearing on the Great American Outdoors Act. We commend the historic bipartisan support for this bill and
GAOA Funds Must Be Available to More Units Across the National Park System
August 26, 2021 Honorable Deb Haaland Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20240 Dear Secretary Haaland: Our organizations are writing to express our deep concern about the need to make funding from the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) available to more units across the National Park System.
Coalition Praises DOI’s Actions To Restore Intent Of LWCF
WASHINGTON, DC — Moments ago, the Department of the Interior repealed former Secretary David Bernhardt’s Secretarial Orders on the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) which imposed unnecessary, top-down requirements that delayed the National Park Service’s ability to address its over $5 billion backlog of land acquisition needs. The Interior Department’s action today restores
Coalition Speaks With Outside Magazine on Biden Presidency and Parks
By Emily Pennington What a Biden Presidency Means for the National Parks From day one, the new administration has showed itself to be in favor of protecting the wild spaces and species we love. On January 20, during the first few moments of his first day in office, standing at a podium, President Biden asserted
NPCA and Coalition Submit Recommendations on GAOA and Deferred Maintenance Implementation
Great American Outdoors Act: Deferred Maintenance Implementation Considerations and Recommendations January 2021 The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) was an extraordinary accomplishment for repairing and conserving our national parks. It is critical that implementation of the law is successful to ensure wise, efficient, transparent use of federal dollars; to meet congressional intent; and to
Coalition Signs on to FY 21 Appropriations Letter
November 19, 2020 Dear Chairwoman Murkowski and Ranking Member Udall, Chairwoman Collins and Ranking Member Reed, Chairwoman McCollum and Ranking Member Joyce, Chairman Price and Ranking Member Diaz-Balart, We, the members of the National Parks Second Century Action Coalition, thank you for your investments over the years to our national parks given the constraints to
Coalition Submits FOIA Request for LWCF Projects Under Great American Outdoors Act
November 5, 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 Improvement Act of 2016 (Public Law No. 114-185) submitted on behalf of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
Coalition Pushes for More Description Regarding GAOA Maintenance List
Coalition Chair Phil Francis spoke with National Parks Traveler regarding DOI’s “priority list for tackling deferred maintenance projects in the National Park System and other public lands with funds generated through the Great American Outdoors Act.” While the list was presented to Congress, it failed to provide detailed descriptions of the projects. “It just seems to
Coalition Concerned Over Failure to Hit LWCF Project Deadline
As per the guidance laid out in the Dingell Act of 2019 and the Great American Outdoors Act of 2020, the Department of the Interior was required to publish a list of allocations for the full and permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund by November 2, 2020. The Trump Administration missed this
Coalition Encourages Transparency with The Great American Outdoors Act
September 14, 2020 The Honorable David Bernhardt Secretary U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C St. NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Secretary Bernhardt, 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
Member Oped: Great American Outdoors Act is worth celebrating, especially in Maine
In a year full of unexpected challenges and extreme partisanship, I am particularly grateful for a cause for celebration. The recent Great American Outdoors Act has provided just such an opportunity. With an eye on the future, both houses of Congress have passed legislation recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting our irreplaceable natural
Coalition Comments on Distribution of GAO Act Funds
Park Service anniversary finds government working to implement new funding The government is working to implement new legislation giving the National Park Service’s infrastructure a well-needed facelift as the NPS, one of the most popular federal agencies, celebrates its 104th anniversary on Tuesday. The recently passed Great American Outdoors Act is intended to tackle the
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
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 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 850+ Groups in Congressional Letter Supporting Great American Outdoors Act
Support for the Great American Outdoors Act May 11, 2020 Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader McCarthy: Our organizations, and the members we represent, strongly support passage and subsequent enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) as quickly as possible. This bill is necessary to support the