CNPSR Sends Letter to Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Congresswoman Capps on Channel Islands NP.

NOTE: Identical letter sent to Senator Barbara Boxer and Congresswoman Lois Capps.

January 22, 2008

The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Senate Hart Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Feinstein:

The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees offers our thanks for your unwavering efforts to resolve the critical issues of public access and conservation of natural and cultural resources at Channel Islands National Park. The presence of big game hunting on Santa Rosa Island is detrimental to full access by the public owners of the park and to the full recovery of the unique natural resources found there. As Southern California continues to grow your efforts will prove to be even more important in providing the unique visitor experiences found within the scattered pieces of Channel Islands National Park. The Coalition urges continuing monitoring of the Settlement Agreement that will ultimately remove these non-native species from Santa Rosa Island in a timely and efficient manner.

The Coalition represents 620 former employees of the National Park Service, many of whom were senior leaders and received awards for stewardship of our country's natural and cultural resources. As park managers, rangers and employees in other disciplines, we devoted our professional lives to maintaining and protecting our national parks for the benefit of all Americans - both living and those yet to be born. We count among our members former Directors and Regional Directors of the National Park Service as well as numerous other senior level managers who had significant field assignments within our System of National Parks and whose careers total some 18,000 years of experience. Given that level of experience, our membership clearly understands the significance of your work to provide full access to and protect the resources of Channel Islands National Park.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Bill Wade, Chairman
Executive Council