Yosemite National Park 
Sierra Sun Times file photo 

November 16, 2024 - WASHINGTON – President-Elect Trump announced that he will nominate North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum as Secretary of Interior.

Statement by NPCA President and CEO Theresa Pierno:

“National Parks are America’s common ground and NPCA looks forward to working with Governor Doug Burgum to protect these special places.

Governor Burgum’s state of North Dakota is home to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, an area where Roosevelt found "perfect freedom” and, later, a place of healing. He understood the beauty of the land and had a great reverence for the wildlife that lived there. His time in North Dakota strongly influenced his conservation policies as president.

A recent report from NPCA showed that Theodore Roosevelt is one of the parks most threatened by oil and gas drilling. But this isn’t the only national park facing this dangerous future. Eleven more parks face serious and immediate threats from oil and gas drilling. Rampant development on park borders can spell disaster for the wildlife, water and clean air that makes parks so beloved by so many Americans.

All our national parks are threatened by the impacts of climate change and funding that has not kept pace with rising visitation. We are prepared to face those challenges together, just as we have for over a hundred years.

Parks unite Americans even in divided times and stand as symbols of the history and values we share as a nation. We look forward to working with Governor Burgum to keep parks from Theodore Roosevelt to the Grand Canyon protected for future generations.”

About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.6 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org
Source: NPCA