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Parks thrive when the lands around them are healthy. The air, water and wildlife that move in and out of parks must be safe and protected for parks to flourish.
The true value of a place isn’t measured in dollars or acres, but in the lives it has touched. And while national parks account for just over 3% of protected lands, they are hubs for much larger landscapes and ecosystems.
Experts agree that we must fully protect 30% of our lands and waters to guard against the worst impacts of climate change. Parks are natural anchors for this plan. By building outward from places people know, love and value, we can enhance national parks while helping to protect every place on Earth from the impacts of climate change.
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Blog Post
7 Places Worth Saving
By protecting the areas surrounding national parks, the U.S. can build resilient landscapes that prevent the worst effects of climate change and species loss.
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Blog Post
Our National Parks Need Sound Science
The National Park System’s breathtaking landscapes and cultural and historic sites serve as living laboratories for science and discovery that help safeguard our nation’s legacy. Yet today, conservation and research…
More about Landscapes
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Read more about New National Monument Protects the Greater Joshua Tree Landscape
Victory New National Monument Protects the Greater Joshua Tree Landscape In the face of threats of climate change and habitat loss, a new national monument will protect critical habitat, promote equitable access to nature, and preserve the desert's rich cultural history.
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Read more about National Parks in the Delaware River Watershed
NPCA AT WORK National Parks in the Delaware River Watershed The Delaware River watershed is known for the amazing recreational opportunities at its national parks and public lands, from paddling and hiking throughout the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and its National Wild and Scenic Rivers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, or learning about our nation’s history at First State National Historical Park in Delaware.
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Read more about Support the Proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area
NPCA at Work Support the Proposed Chesapeake National Recreation Area The Chesapeake Bay is worth inclusion in the National Park System to enhance public access and protection.
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Read more about Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm Are National Treasures Worthy of Protection
NPCA at Work Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm Are National Treasures Worthy of Protection Protecting, interpreting and enhancing the history and environment at this urban oasis is critical. Unfortunately, development threats and underfunding have plagued this park site for decades.
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when I visit them, I am the happiest I've ever been. It feels like I've returned home. — Natalie Lessa
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Read more about Don't Divide Our Habitats, Ecosystems and Communities
NPCA at Work Don't Divide Our Habitats, Ecosystems and Communities Oppose new walls and fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.
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Read more about Keep Crater Lake Wild
NPCA at Work Keep Crater Lake Wild A wilderness designation will preserve Crater Lake, its wildlife and its outdoor recreation opportunities forever. It's time to give this iconic park the protection it deserves.
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Read more about Don’t Risk Wild Land and Fish for a Massive Mine Near Lake Clark
NPCA at Work Don’t Risk Wild Land and Fish for a Massive Mine Near Lake Clark Plans for a massive open-pit mine threaten wild salmon and bears at two of Alaska's wildest national parks.
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Read more about An Oil Refinery Has No Place Next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park
NPCA at Work An Oil Refinery Has No Place Next to Theodore Roosevelt National Park Protect the iconic North Dakota badlands from an ill-conceived facility that would pollute the air
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Read more about Casino Project Cancelled at Gettysburg
Victory Casino Project Cancelled at Gettysburg Local developer ends his third attempt to build a racetrack and casino near this hallowed Civil War battlefield.
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Read more about Don't Cut Funding to the Chesapeake
NPCA at Work Don't Cut Funding to the Chesapeake The Chesapeake watershed supports the health of more than 50 national parks, and we can't afford to reverse important gains to water quality and habitat restoration
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Read more about Helene Recovery, 7 Months After the Storm
Blog Post Helene Recovery, 7 Months After the Storm Recovery is underway at national park sites hit hard by Hurricane Helene in September 2024. We offer updates as visitors consider spring and summer travel.
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Read more about Public Lands Rule Reversal Would Abandon Progress for National Park Protection
Press Release Public Lands Rule Reversal Would Abandon Progress for National Park Protection "This expected rescission is not just a bureaucratic rollback but a fundamental rejection of the idea that our public lands should serve all people, not just the extractive industry."—Beau Kiklis, NPCA's Associate Director of Energy and Landscape Conservation
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Read more about Your Guide to 3 Hikes Within the Rim of the Valley
Blog Post Your Guide to 3 Hikes Within the Rim of the Valley Get out there and make a connection with this land in California that could one day be part of the National Park System.
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Read more about Public Lands Did Not Come Free: What Trump’s Actions May Cost Tribal Nations
Blog Post Public Lands Did Not Come Free: What Trump’s Actions May Cost Tribal Nations The United States and Tribal Nations work together on a government-to-government level. But recent actions by the Trump administration are negating this legally binding relationship, and these efforts could irrevocably harm national parks.
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Read more about 5 Reasons to Visit Katahdin’s New Contact Station
Blog Post 5 Reasons to Visit Katahdin’s New Contact Station Established eight years ago, Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will welcome the public to a new contact station this summer.
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Read more about Parks Group Responds to Order Expanding Mining on Public Lands, Risking National Parks
Press Release Parks Group Responds to Order Expanding Mining on Public Lands, Risking National Parks "National parks and their surrounding landscapes are not industrial mining zones. They are cherished landscapes that belong to all Americans, meant to be protected from rushed and reckless energy development."—NPCA’s Charlie Olsen, Energy and Public Lands Policy Manager
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Read more about Making Our Mark on Capitol Hill: Advocating for the Great Lakes and National Parks
Blog Post Making Our Mark on Capitol Hill: Advocating for the Great Lakes and National Parks The Great Lakes are healthier than they were a generation ago, but NPCA continues to promote their need for protection so we can maintain people’s health and economic well-being.
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Read more about Parks Are Being Dismantled Before Our Very Eyes
Blog Post Parks Are Being Dismantled Before Our Very Eyes Under the second Trump administration, we are in an unprecedented moment in the long history of national park protection. The situation has become dire, but a record number of park lovers are speaking up on behalf of parks.
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Read more about Seeing Recovery at Yellowstone
Blog Post Seeing Recovery at Yellowstone Nearly three years after major floods devastated portions of Yellowstone National Park, recovery is underway. But climate change and staffing shortfalls bring new threats to the world’s first national park as it prepares for peak season.
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Read more about Home Sweet Home? How NPCA is Helping Migrating Birds Return to the Appalachians
Report Home Sweet Home? How NPCA is Helping Migrating Birds Return to the Appalachians As Steve Goodman ventures deeper into the towering forest, he keeps his ears open and binoculars close. With a recording device on hand, he is on a quest to find a dazzling blue bird—and no, it’s not just for fun.
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Read more about Save the Dinosaurs
Podcast Episode Save the Dinosaurs Dinosaur National Monument preserves one of the richest collections of Jurassic remains on Earth. But could a push for energy development threaten this beloved park and its rare fossils?
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Read more about Lost Jobs, Broken Hearts and Harms to National Parks
Blog Post Lost Jobs, Broken Hearts and Harms to National Parks Employees terminated from the National Park Service Feb. 14 speak out to share their stories, frustration and anger — and how the loss of their dream jobs will affect our national parks.
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Read more about A New Monument for an Old Hero?
Podcast Episode A New Monument for an Old Hero? A proposed Chuckwalla National Monument near Joshua Tree National Park would protect the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise and help many other species thrive, including people.
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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 A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake
Resource A Watershed Moment for the Chesapeake The largest estuary in North America, the Chesapeake Bay watershed encompasses 64,000 square miles including six states and the District of Columbia—it’s a thriving ecosystem that has sustained Native peoples for centuries and played a pivotal role in American history. With its ecological and cultural significance, the Chesapeake has become a symbol of the delicate balance between human activity and nature.
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Read more about A Sound Investment: Restoring the Great Lakes in Our National Parks
Report A Sound Investment: Restoring the Great Lakes in Our National Parks These success stories highlight the important role our national parks play in restoring the Great Lakes – the largest source of fresh water on the planet.
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Read more about Data Centers
Fact Sheet Data Centers Data centers are environmentally problematic in a variety of ways. Specifically, data centers consume as much energy as 25,000 households per year and millions of gallons of water a day. They also disrupt communities with noise and health violations. Data centers can threaten national parks and drinking water quality.
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Read more about What Is a National Monument?
Fact Sheet What Is a National Monument? A brief explanation of what these important public lands are and how they differ from national parks and other sites managed by the federal government.
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Read more about "Paving Tundra"
Documentary "Paving Tundra" Experience northeast Alaska’s national parks, wildlife and Alaska Native communities most impacted by the proposed Ambler mining road in this short documentary.
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Read more about Visualizing “Build-Out” in the Upper Delaware River Corridor
Resource Visualizing “Build-Out” in the Upper Delaware River Corridor Envisioning the future of the Upper Delaware River Corridor
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Read more about Report: Alaska’s economic claims for Ambler Mining Road don’t pan out
Report Report: Alaska’s economic claims for Ambler Mining Road don’t pan out New analysis indicates it is far too soon for the State of Alaska and Ambler Metals to promise financial prosperity – or breaking even – with the proposed mining road
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Read more about Alaskan Mining Operations Severely Underestimated Hazardous Spills
Report Alaskan Mining Operations Severely Underestimated Hazardous Spills New analysis compares the predicted impacts described in permitting documents to actual spill records from five major operational hardrock mines.
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Read more about Monuments Protected Under the Antiquities Act
Resource Monuments Protected Under the Antiquities Act The Antiquities Act of 1906 is one of our nation's most important conservation tools. Used to safeguard and preserve federal lands and cultural and historical sites for all Americans to enjoy, 18 presidents have used this authority and have designated 167 national monuments.
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Read more about Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study Area
Interactive Map Rim of the Valley Corridor Special Resource Study Area View a map of natural and cultural features.
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