Dear National Park Advocate,

While a health crisis unfolds day by day, the federal government hasn't stopped cutting protections for clean air and water, leasing land for drilling and mining, or slashing Americans' right to have a say in how our public lands are managed.

Our government should be doing all it can to protect Americans from the coronavirus pandemic -- not using this critical time to roll back protections for parks and public lands.

That's why NPCA has called on government agencies to pause all public comment periods and rulemaking processes -- and resume them when the crisis is over.

Add your name now: Sign on to our letter and let leaders in Washington know that now is not the time to ram through public lands policies -- it's the time to address the global health crisis.

National parks are vital to American life. They tell the story of our American experience and they protect America's favorite places. They deserve our full attention and protection so they can be around for us all -- forever. And decisions made about these "forever" places should not be slipped through while Americans are, rightfully, focused on urgent health concerns.

Here are just a few of the federal regulations that are being decided during the pandemic, when the public can't fully engage in decisions about our public lands:

- An attempt to weaken Clean Air Act protections for Utah parks
- An EPA rule to sideline science from government decisions
- Leasing land for drilling near parks in Colorado and Utah

Park decisions like these deserve the full attention of all Americans. With jobs, education and lives at stake during a health crisis, the Washington needs to pause the federal rulemaking processes for national parks until every American can focus on them again. Send your letter to Washington now!

I'll keep fighting to protect America's national parks, and I know you will too. But right now, we need to know that leaders in Washington won't try to sneak through any more rules about public lands without full public engagement.

Thank you for everything you do for America's national parks.

Ani Kame'enui
Deputy Vice President, Government Affairs