Dear Friend of the National Parks,

As we slowly return to some sense of normalcy, we hope you have opportunities to get out and enjoy your parks and public lands. This quarter we have news of our work to stop oil and gas drilling on the doorstep of Dinosaur, an update on the campaign to preserve the history of Amache, as well as a resource for learning about air pollution and environmental justice. We'll leave you with a way to follow along as NPCA navigates one of the most pressing and perplexing park issues — overcrowding.

Drilling at Dinosaur's Doorstep? 
As evidence of the need for comprehensive oil and gas leasing reform, in May the Biden administration released a proposal to authorize drilling on a 16-year-old “zombie lease” within half a mile of Dinosaur National Monument’s west boundary. NPCA is working tirelessly to prevent drilling next to the park and over 4,000 members and supporters submitted comments asking the administration to protect the park’s views, dark night skies, air and water. It is a constant struggle, but we are doing everything we can to curb industrialization in this spectacular wilderness-caliber landscape and sensitive sage grouse habitat.

Amache Bill Moves Forward to Commemorate the Past
Commemorating an important piece of American history and story of Asian American resilience, Colorado Representatives Neguse and Buck introduced a bipartisan bill to establish the Amache National Historic Site. The legislation will preserve and interpret the story of this World War II-era Japanese incarceration camp, also known as the Granada Relocation Center, in southeast Colorado. The site challenges us to heal and create a future where our national parks reflect the stories of all Americans. NPCA celebrates the introduction of the bill, and we encourage you to take action — urge your members of Congress to cosponsor the Amache National Historic Site Act.

Clean Air for People and Parks 
Prioritizing justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in our work to protect parks reveals new angles to NPCA's efforts to clean the air in parks. We invite you to watch the June Park Talk Addressing the Unequal Burden of Air Pollution to learn how the regional haze rule can be used to both clean the air at our national parks and ensure equal access to healthy air for some of our most vulnerable communities who often slip through the cracks of environmental regulations.

Too Much of a Good Thing 
To close we offer you our Guide to Summer 2021. While news of record-setting crowds at parks and public lands across the country has recently made primetime, NPCA has been working with parks in the Southwest on looming visitation challenges for many years. We continue to explore what's happening on the ground in parks and work with communities to ensure park visits are spectacular and resources are preserved. Enjoy the guide for what to expect (including a timed-entry reservation system at Rocky Mountain National Park) and how to be a responsible park visitor this very busy year.

Have a rejuvenating summer,




 

Ernie Atencio 
Regional Director, Southwest 

Photos, from top: Petrified Forest National Park © Larryknupp | Dreamstime.com; Dinosaur River © Zrfphoto | Dreamstime.com; Amache © Tracy Coppola | NPCA; Overcrowding at Zion National Park © Miguel Santana            

P.S. For more great park stories, check out NPCA's new podcast series The Secret Lives of Parks!