Voices of Experience, Supporting the Protection of America's National Parks

Having served as Chair of the Executive Council since 2003, J. W. (Bill) Wade has taken a post in Abu Dhabi, as the park manager of their first national park, Jebel Hafit. Bill will remain active with CNPSR in his role as Founding Director. Richard P. (Rick) Smith has been elected the new Chair of the Executive Council effective February 26, 2010. See press release below.

About CNPSR: In May, 2003, three former high-ranking National Park Service employees spoke at a press conference in Washington DC against actions being taken by political leaders that were having detrimental effects on the National Park Service and the National Park System. At the same time, a letter was sent to President Bush and Interior Secretary Norton, signed by 20 NPS retirees, voicing similar concerns.

Since that time, almost 800 former NPS employees, many of whom were senior managers of the agency, have joined the Coalition to monitor and respond to the decisions and actions of the political leadership of the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. In a number of ways, the Coalition is also working to support the mission of the National Park System and the employees who carry it out. We have developed this website as a way to voice our concerns about legislative and policy decisions and their related activities that we feel diminish the values and purposes for which the National Park System was established and to help educate the American public about its values and benefits.