Dear National Park
Advocate,

This is a time for unity, a time for healing... and a time to make
sure we get things right.

Time and again, you've shown your love for America's national parks.
Together with park advocates from all across the country, you've made
incredible strides toward healthier parks and a more equitable
environment. And amid the controversy of recent years, you've shown
that national parks truly are America's common ground -- the places
that unite us all.

With Joe Biden sworn in as our 46th president, park lovers like you
are looking to the future. While President Biden has already issued
Executive Orders to help fight climate change and pollution, national
parks are still threatened by reckless development on their doorsteps.

If President Biden is serious about protecting national parks, he
needs to address runaway energy development -- and that means halting
the rush to drill near parks.

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National parks like Carlsbad, Everglades, Chaco Culture and Hovenweep
are deeply tied to their surrounding landscapes. The public lands near
parks are part of the story of those parks -- they're the habitat for
wildlife, the headwaters of rivers and the clear skies that keep parks
healthy and strong.

And those lands belong to us all -- not to big energy corporations.
Decisions about how to use those lands shouldn't be made based on
profit.

But the last few years have seen a reckless push for more drilling
near more parks. Public lands have been auctioned for as little as
$1.50 per acre -- often without consulting nearby communities or
allowing meaningful public input.

Those rushed and reckless auctions must not continue. Send your
message now and tell President Biden that you want a temporary
moratorium on new auctions for drilling near parks!

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But just ending the rush to drill isn't enough. During the moratorium,
the administration must take concrete actions to permanently protect
parks, like:

- Supporting the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act to
permanently protect lands surrounding Chaco Culture National
Historical Park from future mineral leasing and development.

- Thoroughly assess the groundwater, air quality and impact of
drilling on cave and karst features at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

- Take inventory and protect the thousands of cultural sites
surrounding Hovenweep National Monument, currently threatened by
active and proposed drilling.

- Revoke the Trump-era updates to land use planning and review of
lands to be offered for auction.

- Restore public participation in public lands decision through
keystone laws like the National Environmental Policy Act.

- And ensure that the communities most impacted by pollution and
industrial development are treated with justice and compassion.

Parks and their landscapes are irreplaceable parts of the American
story. They're places of memory, unity and healing. President Biden
must move quickly to make sure these critical protections are enacted
during his first 100 days in office. Please send your message now!

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Thank you for starting the year, and the new administration, with such
an important mission.

Theresa Pierno
President & CEO


NPCA | 777 6th Street, NW | Suite 700 |
Washington, DC 20001 | 800.NAT.PARK | [email protected]

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