National Park Service

In 2023 NPS published the Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update. The update is designed to provide “an integrated framework to address the challenge of climate change across the National Park System.”

Biden Administration (2021-2025)

Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update

In 2023 NPS published the Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update. The update is designed to provide “an integrated framework to address the challenge of climate change across the National Park System,” and “outlines goals and objectives across four cornerstones: Understand the science, Adapt to changing conditions, Mitigate the cause, and Communicate about the issue.”

• Understanding
  • Goal 1. Base mitigation and adaptation decisions on high-quality information, including the best available science and Indigenous Knowledges.
  • Goal 2. Fulfill priority needs for new information and share NPS advances with partners.
• Adaptation
  • Goal 3. Address climate change as a standard practice in all levels of NPS planning.
  • Goal 4. Implement adaptation actions to manage natural resources under conditions of continuous change.
  • Goal 5. Implement adaptation actions to manage cultural resources under conditions of continuous change.
  • Goal 6. Develop and implement strategies to understand and manage climate change effects on visitation, park operations, visitor experience, and human health.
  • Goal 7. Prioritize adaptive practices for resilient design, construction, and maintenance of park infrastructure.
• Mitigation
  • Goal 8. Reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2045 through commitment to environmentally sustainable operations and practices.
  • Goal 9. Identify opportunities to increase carbon storage as a function of healthy ecosystems and a component of structures.
• Communication
  • Goal 10. Increase understanding of climate change within the NPS workforce and among our partners to ensure operations are climate-informed.
  • Goal 11. Encourage public dialogue on the meanings and significance of climate change for parks and people.
  • Goal 12. Share our full arc of experience with the climate crisis to move conversations beyond impacts to possible solutions within our borders and beyond.

First Trump Administration (2017-2021)

National Park Service Climate Change Response Program Strategic Plan (2019)

In 2019 the NPS Climate Change Response Program published its Strategic Plan. The plan outlines goals and strategies, including six strategic goals:

1. Parks are knowledgeable about the challenges of climate change, understand how to prepare for future possibilities, and draw from best available climate science and assessment tools to inform and assist relevant management decisions.
2. Climate change adaptation is a routine component of park planning, decision-making, and management.
3. Parks inform their audiences about climate change effects in parks and how the NPS is responding to these challenges.
4. NPS promotes sustainability by seeking ways to reduce its carbon emissions.
5. Parks and programs across the NPS and in other agencies and organizations find value in collaborating with the Program, and the Program similarly benefits from these partnerships.
6. CCRP staff are satisfied, valued, and work well together within the Program, and with other NPS employees, agencies, organizations, and the public.

Obama Administration (2009-2017)

Climate Change Action Plan

In November 2012, the National Park Service released its Climate Change Action Plan, building on the Climate Change Response Strategy of September 2010. The plan “articulates a set of high-priority no-regrets actions the NPS is currently undertaking, or is committed to undertake,” by 2014 to address climate change in national parks. It also provides guidance to help NPS staff prioritize decisions so that actions are focused and integrated across the agency.

NPS Climate Change Response Program

Alongside the Climate Change Response Strategy, NPS launched the NPS Climate Change Response Program (CCRP). CCRP provides expert knowledge, integrated support, and decision making frameworks that inform park management at all 423 NPS units and NPS programs, and has produced an enormous number of scientific publications since its inception.

Climate Change Response Strategy

In September 2010, NPS published its first “Climate Change Response Strategy.” This guidance document outlines a broad strategy to immediately address the threat that climate change poses to national parks and the NPS mission of preserving their resources “unimpaired for future generations,” and responds to Secretarial Order 3289, Amendment No. 1 (Feb. 22, 2010), which established a science and adaptation strategy for the Department of the Interior (DOI) and required bureaus to consider and analyze climate change impacts in planning and decision making, and in designing research agendas.

The strategy included the creation of a NPS Climate Change Coordination Group made up of four Associate Directors, and sets goals under and objectives under 4 categories: science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication. In addition, the strategy identified a set of “high-priority, ‘no-regrets’ actions” that could be taken across NPS to respond to climate change, and assigned responsibility for those actions. In this strategy, the NPS outlined how it would reduce its own carbon footprint through energy efficiency strategies, apply climate models to its activities, and evaluate the potential for carbon storage and sequestration. This strategy is meant to increase the resiliency of national park lands and address the potential threats of climate change as efficiently as possible.

In January 2023, NPS released its 2023 Green Parks Plan. The 2023 Green Parks Plan set a "vision to attain net-zero status in its parks,” defined as parks that:

• “Reduce[] greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible and balance[] remaining emissions with an equivalent amount of renewable energy”
• “Consume[] only as much energy as produced”
• Achieve[] a sustainable balance between water availability and demand; and”
• Eliminate[] waste sent to landfills.”

The 2023 Green Parks Plan set four climate-related objectives:

1. Reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from NPS operations by 65 percent by 2030 from a FY 2008 baseline.
2. Reduce emissions across the NPS portfolio of buildings, campuses, and installations by 50 percent by 2032 from a FY 2008 baseline, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
3. Maintain or increase net carbon storage through constructed or maintained asset rehabilitation and natural restoration projects.
4. Increase resiliency of NPS operations and constructed or maintained assets.

Biden Administration (2021-2025)

2023 Green Parks Plan: Third Edition

In January 2023, NPS released its 2023 Green Parks Plan. The 2023 Green Parks Plan set “a bold vision to attain net-zero status in its parks,” defined as parks that:

• “Reduce[] greenhouse gas emissions as close to zero as possible and balance[] remaining emissions with an equivalent amount of renewable energy”
• “Consume[] only as much energy as produced”
• Achieve[] a sustainable balance between water availability and demand; and”
• Eliminate[] waste sent to landfills.”

The 2023 Green Parks Plan set four climate-related objectives:

1. Reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions from NPS operations by 65 percent by 2030 from a FY 2008 baseline.
2. Reduce emissions across the NPS portfolio of buildings, campuses, and installations by 50 percent by 2032 from a FY 2008 baseline, and achieve net-zero emissions by 2045.
3. Maintain or increase net carbon storage through constructed or maintained asset rehabilitation and natural restoration projects.
4. Increase resiliency of NPS operations and constructed or maintained assets.

First Trump Administration (2017-2021)

N/A

Obama Administration (2009-2017)

2016 Green Parks Plan

In 2016, NPS released an updated “Green Parks Plan.” The document revised its goals slightly, and increased a number of its climate-related quantitative goals. The 2016 Green Parks Plan pledged to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emission (those associated with on-site greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption from third parties, respectively) by 36% (as compared to a 2008 baseline) by 2025, reduce scope 3 emissions (those associated with indirect or “supply chain” impacts of activities) by 23% (as compared to a 2008 baseline) by 2025.

It also established a goal to reduce building energy intensity in 2025 by 25% from a 2015 baseline, and water use intensity in 2025 by 36% above a 2007 baseline.

2012 Green Parks Plan

In April 2012, NPS released its first “Green Parks Plan.” The document laid out a plan to reduce the impact park facilities have on the environment through a number of goals including increasing reliance on renewable energy, improving water use efficiency, adopting green transportation methods, and increasing recycling. In addition, the 2012 Green Parks Plan set quantitative targets for reducing emissions. The 2012 Green Parks Plan aimed to reduce Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions (those associated with on-site greenhouse gas emissions and electricity consumption from third parties, respectively) in 2020 by 35% from the 2008 baseline, and reduce scope 3 emissions (those associated with indirect or “supply chain” impacts of activities) by 10% from a 2008 baseline.

It also established a goal to reduce building energy intensity in 2016 by 35% from a 2003 baseline, and water use intensity in 2020 by 30% above a 2007 baseline.

On March 28, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13783 (Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth). Among other directives, Section 7(b)(ii) directed the Secretary of the Interior to review and, “if appropriate . . . publish for notice and comment proposed rules suspending, revising, or rescinding” the “General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights” rule (discussed below).

Despite this directive, the First Trump Administration never took steps to reverse the 2016 NPS regulation.

Biden Administration (2021-2025)

N/A

First Trump Administration (2017-2021)

Attempted Deregulation

On March 28, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13783 (Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth). Among other directives, Section 7(b)(ii) directed the Secretary of the Interior to review and, “if appropriate . . . publish for notice and comment proposed rules suspending, revising, or rescinding” the “General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights” rule (discussed below).

In response to EO 13783, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued Secretarial Order 3349, which implemented EO 13783’s directive to “immediately review existing regulations that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources and appropriately suspend, revise, or rescind those that unduly burden the development of domestic energy resources beyond the degree necessary to protect the public interest or otherwise comply with the law.” It calls for a reexamination of the mitigation and climate change policies and guidance that the Department of Interior issued during the Obama administration, as well as all regulations related to U.S. oil and natural gas development. Specifically, Order 3349 directs NPS to “review the final rule entitled, ‘General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights.’”

Despite this directive, the First Trump Administration never took steps to reverse the 2016 NPS regulation.

Obama Administration (2009-2017)

Regulation Governing General Provisions and Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights

On November 4, 2016, NPS published a final rule revising the regulations governing the use of non-federal oil and gas rights located within national park lands. (81 Fed. Reg. 77972, Nov. 4, 2016). The rule implements stricter regulations to protect natural resources. For example, it clarifies that well operations should minimize flaring, discharges of hydrocarbon, and water pollution. The rule also removes exemptions so that larger percentages of oil and gas wells in parks are regulated, and increasing assessments for noncompliance.

• Final Rule (81 Fed. Reg. 77972, Nov. 4, 2016)
• Proposed Rule (80 Fed. Reg. 65572, Oct. 26, 2015)
• Revision of Regulations
• Revision of Regulations Appendices

On August 7, 2023, NPS issued a notice of information collection seeking to survey approximately 12,000 visitors to National Parks about their perceptions of climate change and its impacts on the National Park System. (88 Fed. Reg. 52204, Aug. 7, 2023)

Biden Administration (2021-2025)

2023 Survey on Visitor Perceptions of Climate Change

On August 7, 2023, NPS issued a notice of information collection seeking to survey approximately 12,000 visitors to National Parks about their perceptions of climate change and its impacts on the National Park System. (88 Fed. Reg. 52204, Aug. 7, 2023)

2022 Survey on Visitor Perceptions of Climate Change

On October 14, 2022, NPS issued a notice of information collection seeking to survey approximately 6,700 visitors to National Parks about their perceptions of climate change and its impacts on the National Park System. (87 Fed. Reg. 62442, Oct. 14, 2022)

First Trump Administration (2017-2021)

N/A

Obama Administration (2009-2017)

2016 Survey on Visitor Perceptions of Climate Change

On November 8, 2016, NPS issued a notice of information collection seeking to survey approximately 2,560 visitors to National Parks about their perceptions of climate change and its impacts on the National Park System. (81 Fed. Reg. 78629, Nov. 8, 2016)

2013 Survey on Visitor Perceptions of Climate Change

On September 23, 2013, NPS issued a notice of information collection seeking to survey approximately 9,000 visitors to National Parks, averaging 300 across 30 parks, about their perceptions of climate change and its impacts on the National Park System. (78 Fed. Reg. 58343, Sept. 23, 2013)