Apr 28, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC — Every person deserves to drink safe water, breathe fresh air, and thrive in the outdoor spaces that make our country beautiful. That simple truth is the foundation of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition—and it is the reason the coalition today released its 2026 Policy Priorities.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the homeland we share is facing a coordinated assault. Across the country, politicians and their corporate backers are eliminating the jobs of park rangers, biologists, the stewards of our lands and waters. They are selling out our shared public lands to oil, gas, mining, and logging corporations that poison our air, contaminate our water, and put communities at risk. They are dismantling the environmental protections that keep our children safe. And they’re cutting communities out of the process.
“The America the Beautiful for All Coalition’s 2026 Policy Priorities are a coordinated way to meet this moment,” said Shantha Ready Alonso, Executive Director of the America the Beautiful for All Coalition.
Jerry Otero of the Grand Canyon Trust serves as Co-Chair of the Coalition’s Policy Priorities and Campaigns Committee. He says of the threats: "We are standing on the shoulders of all those who came before us. They did not fight, suffer, and persevere so we could hesitate in 2026. Those who come after us cannot afford for us to falter in the face of today’s adversity. The decisions we make now will echo across generations, shaping not only landscapes, but will also determine whether our nation is a place of belonging, resilience, and possibility for all. That's why I choose to invest my leadership time with the America the Beautiful for All Coalition. Stronger together, we can and will meet this moment."
Mark Magaña, Founding President & CEO, GreenLatinos and Co-Chair of the Coalition Steering Committee said “We are proud to champion these priorities because we know conservation succeeds when it centers community voices. America the Beautiful for All advances equity, protects our lands and waters, and ensures that together we are securing an equitable, climate-resilient future that is truly beautiful for all."
Built from the ground up, the agenda was developed through six workgroups—oceans, wildlife, public lands, freshwater, legacy lands, and urban parks and greenspace—working alongside frontline and legacy organizations nationwide. The priorities reflect what some of the communities living closest to threatened lands, waters, and wildlife say matters most right now.
Earthjustice President and Coalition Steering Committee Co-Chair Abigail Dillen said of the new priorities: “United action to protect our public lands, waters, and wildlife has never been more urgent. We are honored to be working in coalition with tireless advocates around the country to fend off unprecedented attacks while fighting for a thriving, healthy America that is truly Beautiful For All.”
Children’s Environmental Health Network Executive Director and Coalition Steering Committee Co-Chair Nse Obot Witherspoon noted, “The coalition’s work is backed by overwhelming public support. Nine in ten voters agree that every child deserves to grow up healthy and safe, and nearly three-quarters want to learn more about what they can do to care for the natural places they depend on. Across party lines, voters want the government to protect the health and wellbeing of children and future generations.”
Coalition Steering Committee member and The Wilderness Society President and CEO Tracy Stone-Manning commented: "Protecting public lands and waters for future generations takes all of us working together today. These priorities reflect values people across the country share: the freedom to enjoy public lands and waters, the need to protect the clean water and wildlife our communities depend on, and the responsibility to pass these places on. The Wilderness Society is proud to stand with the America the Beautiful for All Coalition in this effort.”
At a moment when environmental protections are being dismantled with speed and precision, the Coalition’s 2026 Policy Priorities identify critical policies, programs, and safeguards that must be defended—and strengthened—to protect communities, nature, health, and our shared future.
America the Beautiful for All Coalition Policy Priorities and Campaigns Committee Co-Lead and President/CEO of Minorities in Shark Sciences Jasmin Graham said: “These priorities represent concerns frontline communities around the country have and I look forward to us all working together to address them and keep America beautiful for all of us who call this nation home.”
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About Us
The America the Beautiful for All Coalition, 300+ organizations strong, is the broadest convergence the modern conservation movement has seen: a center of gravity where conservation, environmental justice, and public health meet. We follow the leadership of, and define our priorities with, the communities living closest to the lands, waters, and wildlife under threat.
For more information and to view the 2026 Policy Priorities, visit https://americathebeautifulforall.org/
