Parks and Climate Change
Advocating for climate solutions that protect parks and people.
Jacob Frank/National Park Service
NPCA works to protect national parks and communities from the causes and detrimental effects of climate change. From the halls of Congress to the courtroom, we fight to ensure our nation’s bedrock environmental laws are strong and hold polluters and the government accountable to those safeguards. We also advocate for place-based climate policies and best practices that value the needs of vulnerable populations as we seek to ensure our national parks endure.
While national parks are warming at twice the rate as the rest of the country, through swift and comprehensive climate action, we can reverse course and protect our national parks.
NPCA leverages the popularity and unique protections of national parks to mitigate greenhouse gas pollution, advance clean energy solutions and support measures to help natural, cultural and historic parks be more resilient to climate impacts. We do this work alongside partners and local communities, with Congress, and with federal and state agencies.
Climate Action
Advocating for Climate Solutions that Protect Parks and People
NPCA fights to protect our national parks and their climate, air, lands, wildlife and water. We hold polluters and the government accountable to the laws and policies that protect our…
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Climate Impacts
How the Climate Crisis Is Affecting National Parks
Climate change is the greatest threat the national parks have ever faced. Nearly everything we know and love about the parks — their plants and animals, rivers and lakes, glaciers,…
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Blog Post
The Fight to Save 30%
Congress has a new opportunity to meaningfully address the climate crisis by setting an ambitious land and water preservation goal for the United States.
More about Climate Change
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Read more about Grand Canyon and Santa Monica Mountains among beneficiaries of public lands act
Press Release Grand Canyon and Santa Monica Mountains among beneficiaries of public lands act The ambitious Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands Act will safeguard famous park sites while combatting climate change and addressing environmental justice priorities
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Read more about National Parks Will Benefit from Biden Administration’s Public Lands Oil and Gas Moratorium
Press Release National Parks Will Benefit from Biden Administration’s Public Lands Oil and Gas Moratorium Executive order will stop the reckless four-year fire sale of public lands to polluters that damage parks and drive climate change.
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Read more about Marine Programs in the Sun Coast Region
Resource Marine Programs in the Sun Coast Region NPCA’s Sun Coast Region approaches our marine work with an eye toward ecosystem conservation, restoration and resilience. We work strategically to identify, assess and proactively address the evolving threats to marine ecosystems and all species and resources within them.
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Read more about Climate Change and Florida’s National Parks
Resource Climate Change and Florida’s National Parks Florida is among the most climate change-threatened states in the United States. Florida’s treasured national parks—spanning the Greater Everglades ecosystem northward into Gulf Islands National Seashore and beyond—are being impacted by our changing climate.
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— Kate
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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.
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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.
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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
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Read more about Parks Group Files Legal Brief Supporting Challenge of Illegal Removal of Clean Water Protections
Press Release Parks Group Files Legal Brief Supporting Challenge of Illegal Removal of Clean Water Protections Amicus brief argues new unlawful water regulation will negatively impact health of national parks and surrounding communities.
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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
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Read more about NPCA position on H.R. 8632 - Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act
Policy Update NPCA position on H.R. 8632 - Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act NPCA sent the following position to the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee ahead of a hearing scheduled for November 17th, 2020.
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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.
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Read more about President-Elect Biden to Prioritize Conservation and Climate Change, Benefitting National Parks Across the Country
Press Release President-Elect Biden to Prioritize Conservation and Climate Change, Benefitting National Parks Across the Country "Together, we can make a real difference for our communities, our parks and our environment." - Theresa Pierno
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Read more about Sustaining Indiana Beaches
Resource Sustaining Indiana Beaches The scenic beaches of Indiana Dunes are disappearing. In order to sustain this critical asset to Indiana’s economy and quality of life, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must conduct a federal damage mitigation feasibility study.
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Read more about Support Strong Climate Protections
Advocacy in Action Support Strong Climate Protections Parks can — and should — be a cornerstone of climate action.
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Read more about Wolves at Isle Royale
Victory Wolves at Isle Royale Isle Royale National Park in Michigan is a wild, remote island in Lake Superior that serves as a natural refuge for wildlife, including its most famous residents: wolves and moose. Ninety-nine percent of Isle Royale is designated as a federal wilderness area and as the island’s top predator, wolves are essential to controlling the island’s moose population.
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Read more about Court Ruling Saves Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears
Victory Court Ruling Saves Greater Yellowstone Grizzly Bears Judge's ruling overturns Trump administration decision to remove endangered species protections from grizzly bears in the Yellowstone and Grand Teton region.
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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.
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Read more about Climate Change and Our National Parks
See a Map Climate Change and Our National Parks See an interactive map highlighting some of the national parks facing the effects of climate change.
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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.
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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?
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Read more about Fighting to Keep the Clean Power Plan
Advocacy in Action Fighting to Keep the Clean Power Plan This common-sense rule is critical for protecting national parks from the worst threat they face — climate change.
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Read more about Our National Parks and a Changing Climate
Resource Our National Parks and a Changing Climate How NPCA and its supporters are working to address climate change.
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Read more about Climate march posters
Resource Climate march posters You can print these posters to show your support for national parks in a changing climate.
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Read more about Wolves at Isle Royale: Background Materials
Resource Wolves at Isle Royale: Background Materials Right now there are only two wolves left on Isle Royale, the lowest population at the park in over 50 years.
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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.
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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.
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