America The Beautiful for All Coalition Members Support the Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act.
WASHINGTON – Ahead of Juneteenth National Independence Day, 35 organizations in the United States and territories across zip codes, sectors, and scale issued a formal letter affirming support for S.3429, Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act. This important legislation would permanently restore Juneteenth among other nationally important days as fee-free days at national parks and federal recreational lands.
In response, these letter signatories issue the following statements:
“It is important to restore Juneteenth as a fee-free day because it is important to make it easily accessible for everyone to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about American history,” said Michael Coard, Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) Founder and Attorney.
“If Secretary Burgum is serious about keeping parks open, safe and accessible he will work with Congress to get this bill on President Trump’s desk ASAP," said Olivia Juarez, GreenLatinos Public Land Program Director. “Our national parks are in crisis; they need public service now more than ever.”
"Entrance fees at National Parks discriminate based on wealth, posing barriers to access by lower-income communities," said Erik Molvar, Executive Director of Western Watersheds Project. "Every day should be a fee-free day at America's National Parks, but at the very least, fees should be waived for important holidays celebrating our national diversity such as Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day."
“Public lands are national treasures that belong to everyone, and getting a new generation outside and enjoying them is vital to their protection,” said Steve Pedery, Conservation Director with Oregon Wild. “The Juneteenth fee-free day created an opportunity for families from all economic backgrounds to fall in love with public lands, and it should be restored.”
“Fee-free days are an invitation to enjoy America’s unmatched network of national parks
and public lands. President Trump and Interior Secretary Burgum eliminated free admission on both Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, one of several steps they have taken to weaponize our national park system in service of efforts to whitewash American history,” said Jackie Ostfeld, Sierra Club’s Outdoors for All Director. “Federal holidays are important opportunities for families to spend time together outdoors, especially when schools are closed. We should be making all federal holidays fee-free in our national parks, not closing the door on families discovering America’s national treasures for the first time.”
"America's public lands belong to all of us, and fee-free days help ensure that access isn't limited by income or circumstance," said Michelle Lute, PhD, Executive Director of Wildlife for All. "Juneteenth is an opportunity to reflect on the ongoing work of expanding freedom, opportunity, and belonging in this country. Restoring Juneteenth as a fee-free day sends an essential message: our public lands are for everyone, and everyone deserves the chance to experience and connect with them."
The community sign-on letter addressed to the Sponsor and Cosponsors of S.3429 reads,
Re: Juneteenth Fee-Free Day on National Public Land and Water
Dear Sponsors and Cosponsors of S.3429,
In observance of Juneteenth National Independence Day, the undersigned 35 organizations thank you for introducing and supporting S.3429, Encouraging Public Service in Our National Parks and Public Land Act to codify the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the third Monday in January; the first day of National Park Week in April; Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19; Great American Outdoors Day, August 4; National Public Lands Day, the fourth Saturday in September; and Veterans Day, November 11, as fee-free days for federal recreational lands and waters in addition to fee-free days provided for by the Secretary of Interior.
In November 2025, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revoked Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, National Public Lands Day, and Great American Outdoors Act Day as fee-free days at national parks and federal recreational lands and waters. Furthermore, the Secretary stipulated that current fee-free days are only applicable to U.S. residents, impeding the ability for international students, temporary workers and others in the process of formalizing residential status in the U.S. from appreciating our national public lands and waters on fee-free days.
We the undersigned believe that fee-free days remove barriers for all people to explore some of America's most beloved trails and appreciate places of national historical interest. Fee-free days unlock access to experiences such as traversing Glacier National Park along the Continental Divide Trail, hiking through the Smoky Mountains on the Appalachian Trail, learning about rail worker history at Golden Spike National Historical Park, picnicking in El Yunque National Forest, and beyond.
In order to ensure this legislation affects all people who call the U.S. home, we encourage you to update this legislation by clarifying that fee-free days are applicable to all public land and water visitors.
As we approach Juneteenth, we hope that you will engage with your constituents to promote current opportunities that welcome families to public lands and waters on Juneteenth for free such as the Every Kid Outdoors Pass, and America The Beautiful National Park and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for veterans, military families, and people with disabilities.
Respectfully,
Alaska Wilderness League
America The Beautiful For All Coalition Public Land Workgroup
Arriba South Coast
Avenging The Ancestors Coalition (ATAC)
Bayou City Waterkeeper
California Environmental Voters
Cascadia Wildlands
Center for Biological Diversity
Children's Environmental Health Network
Continental Divide Trail Coalition
Earthjustice
Endangered Species Coalition
Grand Canyon Trust
GreenLatinos
KABOOM!
La Trenza
Latino Outdoors
League of Conservation Voters
Los Padres ForestWatch
Melanin Base Camp, LLC
Next 100 Coalition
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
Ocean Defense Initiative
One Mississippi
Oregon Wild
Resource Renewal Institute
Scenic Utah
Sierra Club
Synergy5280
The Last Plastic Straw
The Ocean Project
Un Mar de Colores
Western Watersheds Project
Western Wildlife Conservancy
Wildlife for All
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(NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) GreenLatinos convenes an active comunidad of environmental, conservation, and climate justice leaders rooted in the power and wisdom of our culture, united to uplift our priorities, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
