Friends,
Please consider
signing on to a letter supporting the nomination of Shannon Estenoz for DOI Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks ahead of her hearing in Senate EPW this coming Wednesday.
The deadline to sign on is Tuesday, May 11 at noon ET. View the letter and sign on using this form:
https://forms.gle/7K3tDaz5m2Qx4bd18.
Thanks to Matt Keller at TWS for helping draft this letter!
Christina
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Christina Hazard Legislative Director | National Parks Conservation Association C: 202-836-1389 | chazard@npca.org
| npca.org Your parks. Your turn. |
Dear Senator,
On behalf of our millions of members and supporters, the undersigned organizations urge you to support the nomination of Shannon Estenoz as Department of the Interior (DOI) Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
The Biden-Harris Administration must address climate change head-on and advance policies that protect the water, air, wildlife, cultural landscapes and other resources that make our public lands world-renowned. The National Park Service
and Fish and Wildlife Service fall under the purview of the assistant secretary, agencies that will be crucial to the success of these efforts. From protecting endangered species to expanding the interpretation of diverse stories to ensuring robust community
and tribal collaboration, our public lands need a strong leader in this position and Shannon Estenoz is well qualified for that role.
Estenoz comes to this nomination with nearly three decades of environmental protection experience. Whether working directly with stakeholders or coordinating across multiple federal agencies, she has demonstrated a consistent commitment
to working collaboratively while protecting some of the United States’ most precious natural resources. Currently serving as the principal deputy assistant secretary for fish and wildlife and parks, Estenoz was most recently the Chief Operating Officer of
The Everglades Foundation.
Through her work as DOI’s Director of Everglades Restoration Initiatives as well as DOI’s Executive Director of the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force during the Obama administration, Estenoz established herself as a professional
with technical expertise on the protection of the Everglades, one of our most treasured and vulnerable landscapes. As part of her work at DOI, her role included coordinating between multiple federal agencies, advancing meaningful consultation with tribes,
and engaging with stakeholders across a broad array of often competing interests. One such project was the of rebuilding portions of the Tamiami Trail, a 264-mile roadway connecting Tampa and Miami, to eliminate the barrier the road created to the flow of
water in the Everglades ecosystem while maintaining the important transportation connection between those two cities.
Estenoz’s state-level work in Florida included serving in appointed positions under Governors Bush, Chiles and Crist, demonstrating her ability to work in a bipartisan manner. This included an appointment to the Governing Board of the South
Florida Water Management District. Her professional experience also includes roles with the World Wildlife Fund and the National Parks Conservation Association.
The Department of the Interior has a critical role to play in the challenges facing our country today, from climate change to environmental injustice. We believe Shannon Estenoz is well equipped to address these challenges and ensure a
bright future for our public lands, the communities that depend on them, and all those that visit them. We urge you to support her nomination.
Thank you for considering our views.
Sincerely,
[Organizations]