Clearing the Air
Air pollution is among the most serious threats to our national parks and monuments. Dirty air ruins scenic views, harms wildlife and historic sites, and affects the health of visitors.
© Xavigrap/Dreamstime
Regional Haze
Clear Solutions for Parks
Millions of people visit U.S. national parks and wilderness areas each year to see some of the most awe-inspiring views in the world. Visitors imagine national parks as having the…
-
Air & Climate Report
Polluted Parks
Nearly every national park is affected by air pollution and climate change in adverse ways. NPCA’s “Polluted Parks” report evaluates damage from air pollution at 417 national parks based on…
-
Press Release
Parks Group Celebrates Deb Haaland’s Historic Confirmation as Interior Secretary, Marking a New Era for National Parks and Public Lands
"Now, more than ever, we need bold leaders like Secretary Haaland, who are ready to take on the challenges facing our public lands with a commitment to climate solutions and…
More about Air
-
Read more about Agreement to Close Entergy's Polluting Power Plants is Finalized
Press Release Agreement to Close Entergy's Polluting Power Plants is Finalized “Today’s decision is a win for clean air and our environment." - Stephanie Kodish, NPCA's Clean Air & Climate Programs Director & Counsel
-
Read more about “Do Nothing” Ozone Rule Challenged by Parks, Health and Environmental Groups
Press Release “Do Nothing” Ozone Rule Challenged by Parks, Health and Environmental Groups "The EPA must revise ozone standards to follow the science and protect the health of our people and environment; otherwise, the consequences could be dire.” - Stephanie Kodish, NPCA's Clean Air Program Director
-
Read more about The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks
Policy Update The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks President Trump and the officials he appointed systematically undermined, degraded and outright attacked the laws that protect our public lands, the agencies that manage them and the irreplaceable resources these places safeguard for the American people.
-
Read more about Conservation Groups Challenge EPA’s Reversal on Utah Regional Haze Plan
Press Release Conservation Groups Challenge EPA’s Reversal on Utah Regional Haze Plan Lawsuit seeks to reinstate heightened requirements for pollution controls on twin coal-fired plants
-
I love knowing that future generations will have the same access to these lands as I have and my parents did. The National Parks do a great job of preserving some of the most unique areas of our country. — Christopher Mitchell
-
Read more about Lawsuit Filed Against EPA for its Failure to Protect Public Health and National Parks
Press Release Lawsuit Filed Against EPA for its Failure to Protect Public Health and National Parks Keeping the current, insufficient PM2.5 standards in place will result in continued harm to the health of our communities and national parks.
-
Read more about Parks Group Supports Historic Nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary
Press Release Parks Group Supports Historic Nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary “Amid a global pandemic and climate crisis, we need a Department of Interior Secretary who is ready to address 21st century challenges with bold solutions." -- NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno
-
Read more about Colorado Air Quality Regulator Reverses Decision to Retire Coal Plants Early
Press Release Colorado Air Quality Regulator Reverses Decision to Retire Coal Plants Early Air Quality Control Commission sides with corporate polluters over decision to force the early retirement of three coal plants
-
Read more about Climate Change Biggest Threat Facing National Parks; NPCA Supports Selection of Gina McCarthy for Domestic Climate Advisor
Press Release Climate Change Biggest Threat Facing National Parks; NPCA Supports Selection of Gina McCarthy for Domestic Climate Advisor “With our public lands and waterways at the forefront of the climate crisis, they offer one of our country’s best defenses for addressing these threats. Protecting, restoring and preserving them is key to combating it." -- NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno
-
Read more about Regional haze plan calls for earlier retirement for Colorado coal-fired power plants
Press Release Regional haze plan calls for earlier retirement for Colorado coal-fired power plants National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club proposal reduces greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants, improving public health and visibility at parks
-
Read more about New Virtual Workshop Connects University Science Students With Policy to Support Indiana Dunes National Park
Press Release New Virtual Workshop Connects University Science Students With Policy to Support Indiana Dunes National Park Today's young scientists are at the forefront of informing policy that will protect Indiana Dunes and all of our national treasures.
-
Read more about Air Pollution in Colorado: Our Lives and Parks at Risk
Advocacy in Action Air Pollution in Colorado: Our Lives and Parks at Risk Colorado suffers from a serious and growing air quality problem, failing year after year to meet federal standards for air that’s healthy and safe to breathe. That needs to change.
-
Read more about Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air
Advocacy in Action Our Southwestern National Parks Deserve Cleaner Air Clean air is within reach for our Southwestern national parks.
-
Read more about Clean Air for Parks Fact Sheets
Fact Sheet Clean Air for Parks Fact Sheets In the fight for healthy air, laws limiting haze pollution are powerful tools—but we need to act now to sharpen them. To win the fight for clean and healthy air, deploying all means to lower pollution—like ozone and particulate matter—is a necessity.
-
Read more about Fighting for Clean Air in our National Parks
Advocacy in Action Fighting for Clean Air in our National Parks Air pollution is one of the most serious threats facing national parks, harming visitors’ health, clouding scenic views and altering our climate.
-
Read more about California's National Parks: Struggling for Clean Air
Advocacy in Action California's National Parks: Struggling for Clean Air It might come as a surprise that California’s crown jewel national parks — Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Joshua Tree and Yosemite — struggle with some of the dirtiest air of any parks in the nation.
-
Read more about Ozone Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet Ozone Fact Sheet Ozone threatens the health of park visitors and contributes to the disease and death of park species such as the black cherry tree in the East and aspen and ponderosa pine in the West. National park ecosystems across the country are already showing damage from ground-level ozone pollution.
-
Read more about Forward, Not Backward
Fact Sheet Forward, Not Backward Climate change is the greatest threat facing our national parks and people across the world. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking strident measures to strip the U.S. of necessary rules to curb climate pollution.
-
Read more about 10 Ways to Be a Park Advocate
Resource 10 Ways to Be a Park Advocate Want to be an advocate for parks, but don't know where to start?
-
Read more about Defending Clean Air Protections for Parks
Advocacy in Action Defending Clean Air Protections for Parks Air pollution is among the most serious threats facing national parks, threatening visitors’ health, clouding scenic vistas and altering our climate. To restore clean air to national parks, we work to defend the clean air laws that protect them.
-
Read more about Join Us
Video Join Us Our national parks preserve some of the most inspiring places and stories. These places belong to us all. They deserve to be celebrated and protected. It’s up to us to ensure that America’s favorite places have clean water, clear air and healthy wildlife.
-
Read more about Learn More About Seeing Clearly in America’s National Parks
Map Learn More About Seeing Clearly in America’s National Parks How dirty air harms parks and what you can do to help.
-
Read more about Share Your Story
My Park Story Share Your Story Let our leaders know why clean air matters to you. Share your experience!
-
Read more about National Park Groups Thank President for Methane Announcement
Letter National Park Groups Thank President for Methane Announcement New rules will help protect parks from the impacts of climate change.
-
Read more about Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks
Report Polluted Parks: How Dirty Air is Harming America’s National Parks “Polluted Parks” graded the pollution-related damage in the 48 national parks required by the Clean Air Act to have the highest possible air quality.
-
Read more about Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant
Letter Best Available Retrofit Technology at the Cholla Power Plant On behalf of National Parks Conservation Association and Sierra Club, Earthjustice respectfully submits the following comments regarding the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s (ADEQ) proposed Best Available Retrofit Technology (BART) “reassessment” for the Cholla Power Plant.
-
Read more about Virginians for Healthy Air Newsletter
Report Virginians for Healthy Air Newsletter Virginians for Healthy Air is a network of Virginia businesses, civic groups, and nonprofit organizations that share the vision of healthy air for the Commonwealth and for Virginia’s national parks, including Shenandoah.
-
Read more about Clean Air Health Findings in the Southwest
Report Clean Air Health Findings in the Southwest A report on clean air health findings in the Southwest by Dr. George Thurston.
Donate
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now