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…
-
Blog Post
Facing the Climate Catastrophe: What We Do Now Matters
The forecast on climate is stark, but the Biden administration can take meaningful action now to help avoid the worst effects of the crisis.
More about Air
-
Read more about The Case for Fixing and Building Out National Parks Air Monitoring Networks
Report The Case for Fixing and Building Out National Parks Air Monitoring Networks Our national parks are places of unparalleled natural wonder, historical significance, and cultural value, yet most are plagued by poor air quality that can threaten human health and detrimentally impact park ecosystems.
-
Read more about President Biden Nominates Charles Sams for Director of the National Park Service
Press Release President Biden Nominates Charles Sams for Director of the National Park Service Today, after more than four years without an official director, President Biden nominated Charles “Chuck” Sams III to be the director of the National Park Service.
-
Read more about Tens of thousands of orphaned oil wells plague national parks
Press Release Tens of thousands of orphaned oil wells plague national parks New analysis finds 31,737 abandoned orphan oil and gas wells located near national park sites, polluting the air and groundwater within parks and nearby communities
-
Read more about EPA to Revisit Clean Air Standards, Prioritizing Science and Data
Press Release EPA to Revisit Clean Air Standards, Prioritizing Science and Data “We are pleased that the EPA is once again prioritizing science and its obligation to protect people and the environment." - Ulla Reeves, NPCA's Clean Air Program Senior Advocacy Manager
-
America's best idea is my idea of preserving the best of America for all generations. — Gary
-
Read more about President’s Budget Calls for Historic and Necessary Funding Increases to National Parks, Air and Water
Press Release President’s Budget Calls for Historic and Necessary Funding Increases to National Parks, Air and Water "Today's historic budget plan from the Biden administration comes as a welcome and much needed change for our national parks, their staff and all who love and care for these treasured places." - Theresa Pierno, NPCA's President and CEO
-
Read more about Bureau of Land Management Moves Forward Oil Drilling Plan by Dinosaur National Monument
Press Release Bureau of Land Management Moves Forward Oil Drilling Plan by Dinosaur National Monument Agency sets ball in motion to allow drilling within half a mile of national monument
-
Read more about Parks Group’s Report Finds Flawed Methods and Modeling Fails to Identify 90 Percent of Southeastern Sources Polluting Air in National Parks and Communities
Press Release Parks Group’s Report Finds Flawed Methods and Modeling Fails to Identify 90 Percent of Southeastern Sources Polluting Air in National Parks and Communities Due to the flawed information, Southeastern states are on track to ignore more than 300 sources of pollution.
-
Read more about NPCA Supports Nomination of Tommy Beaudreau for Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary and Shannon Estenoz for Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Press Release NPCA Supports Nomination of Tommy Beaudreau for Department of the Interior Deputy Secretary and Shannon Estenoz for Assistant Secretary of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Now, more than ever, we need strong leaders like Tommy Beaudreau and Shannon Estenoz to speak up for our treasured landscapes and the irreplaceable wildlife they protect.
-
Read more about National Parks and Public Lands Are Key to President Biden’s Plan to ‘Build Back Better’
Press Release National Parks and Public Lands Are Key to President Biden’s Plan to ‘Build Back Better’ President Biden ran on the promise to build our nation back better, and our national parks, public lands and waters play a critical role in achieving this ambitious goal.
-
Read more about Parks Group Celebrates Deb Haaland’s Historic Confirmation as Interior Secretary, Marking a New Era for National Parks and Public Lands
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 environmental justice." - Theresa Pierno
-
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 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.
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