August 26, 2020 Thirteen groups sue Interior, NPS for paving way for destructive hunting practices that threaten bears and wolves on national preserves ANCHORAGE, AK—A lawsuit filed today in federal District Court in Alaska charges the Interior Department and National Park Service with violating multiple laws when adopting a rule that would open up
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
Coalition Speaks Out About Resource Damage
BALTIMORE (WBAL & AP) — A brick walkway at Fort McHenry was damaged by crews preparing for Vice President Mike Pence’s speech planned at the historic site for Wednesday. Crews have been quickly building a stage, mobile broadcast center and infrastructure needed to beam a speech by the vice president from Fort McHenry
Fort McHenry Should Not Be Used For Political Gain
Fort McHenry Should Not Be Used For Political Gain Vice President Mike Pence will speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday from Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine. The Maryland Republican Party reportedly secured a special use permit to use the national park site for the Vice President’s political event. The Coalition
Coalition Voices Concern Over Use of Ft. McHenry
August 24, 2020 Ms. Margaret Everson Counselor to the Secretary, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director National Park Service 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Dear Acting Director Everson: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization
Coalition: Acting Director Does Not Understand How Parks Operate
Margaret Everson, the recently named Acting Director of the National Park Service, has stated that a lack of park employees due to the pandemic should not be a reason to limit access to parks. Ms. Everson went on to instruct NPS Regional Directors that, “staffing limitations should not be a constraining factor in providing
Freedom of Information Act Request: Closure of Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial
August 18, 2020 Charis Wilson, FOIA Officer National Park Service 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
Coalition Condemns Decision to Open Arctic Refuge to Drilling
The Trump administration announced its plan to open up portions of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil and gas development, a move that overturns six decades of protections for the largest remaining stretch of wilderness in the United States. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt said that the department will auction
Member OpEd: A call for authorizing Curecanti National Recreation Area
A call for authorizing Curecanti National Recreation Area Posted to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Aug 14, 2020 As a group, we have a combined 26.5 years of experience as superintendents of Curecanti National Recreation Area and a collective 179 years of service with the National Park Service. With the benefit of this extensive background,
Coalition Objects to Using Parks as Campaign Stops
August 17, 2020 Ms. Margaret Everson Counselor to the Secretary, Exercising the Delegated Authority of the Director National Park Service 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 Dear Acting Director Everson: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization
Coalition Comments on Proposed Mountain Biking Trail
August 17, 2020 Mr. Cassius Cash Superintendent, Great Smoky Mountains National Park 107 Park Headquarters Road Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Subject: Scoping Comments, Proposed Wears Valley Bicycle Trail Dear Superintendent Cash: I am writing to you on behalf of over 1,800 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed
Coalition Speaks About Lack of Permanent NPS Director
How Trump bent the National Park Service to do his bidding By Mark Kaufman For the first 100 years of the National Park Service’s existence, there has almost continually been an official director who leads the prestigious conservation agency. Now, that’s changed. The Trump administration has never had anyone in the official position of
Coalition On Acting Director Vela’s Departure
David Vela’s reversal of fortune: ‘D.C. is a fickle place’ Rob Hotakainen, E&E News reporter Published: Friday, August 14, 2020 When President Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act last week, one key player was nowhere to be found: David Vela, the acting director of the National Park Service, who had pushed hard to get
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
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: 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 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: Fireworks at Mount Rushmore a Bad Idea
Firework Celebration at Mount Rushmore is A Bad Idea The National Park Service has announced it will resume Fourth of July fireworks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The event this year will be held on July 3, 2020, and President Trump has indicated he plans to attend. The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
Letter to Appropriators: NEPA EO Will Harm Parks
June 23, 2020 Dear Chairwoman Lowey and Chair McCollum, 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
Former NPS Alaska Managers Submit Letter to DOI Opposing NPS Final Rule on Hunting and Trapping in Alaska
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
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
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 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
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),