ANPR urges Trump administration to continue air quality monitoring in national parks

For Immediate Release                                                                                                     May 7, 2025

Contact:  Bill Wade, bwade@anpr.org, (520) 444-3973

Association of National Park Rangers urges Trump administration
to continue air quality monitoring in national parks  

The Trump administration last week temporarily paused, and was poised to cancel, air quality monitoring which has been ongoing at hundreds of sites in and around National Park Service areas in the United States. The monitoring appears to have resumed, for now. This monitoring – which, for example, keeps track of air pollution affecting visibility at the Grand Canyon and the effects of pollutants on the verdant forests at Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah National Parks – is vital to protecting the air quality over our entire nation. Protecting the clean air at national parks, designated as “Class I Air Quality” sites, is required under the Clean Air Act and other federal laws. “This relatively simple, cost-effective ongoing scientific monitoring is necessary to maintain clean, breathable air at these treasured landscapes where people from around the country and around the world come to enjoy healthy ecosystems, see the view, breathe big gulps of fresh air, and gain inspiration,” said Tom Banks, member of the Association of National Park Rangers (ANPR).

Meg Weesner, ANPR member and former chief of resource management at Saguaro National Park, said that many “national parks and wilderness areas are required by the Clean Air Act to prevent air quality in their areas from deteriorating. They monitor air quality and visibility so they know what the current conditions are and whether air quality is deteriorating. Poorer air quality affects human health, as well as sensitive plant and animal species in the natural environment. The parks monitor air quality because the law requires them to.”

“I spent almost three years as superintendent at Shenandoah National Park developing the air quality monitoring system there,” said Bill Wade, executive director of ANPR.  “Over that time and since, we significantly improved the visibility and the healthy air for park visitors and ecosystems. Stopping the air quality monitoring program would be a step to reverse all that. This would be extremely unfortunate, and contrary to existing federal laws,” said Wade.

"ANPR strongly supports maintaining air quality monitoring and protection – and related scientific programs and protective measures in our national parks – which help guarantee that the National Park Service fulfills its historic mission of conserving the parks, the scenery, the wild life and other natural and cultural resources, for the benefit of present and future generations,” said Banks.  “We need to stand against the loss of protective measures for our parks, and strongly urge the Administration to continue the National Park Service’s air quality monitoring efforts.”

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For additional information:

NPS air quality history, full document: link here

NPS Air Quality Monitoring: link here

Clean Air Clear Views: link here

NPS Air Resources Division: link here