“Legislation introduced in Congress would fill multiple gaps in federal whistleblower protections and finally grant access to courts and jury trials for review of their cases. Representative Carolyn Maloney, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, introduced the Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act (WPIA). “The Make It Safe Coalition (MISC) Steering Committee praised...

“The third acting National Park Service director under the Trump administration abruptly announced on Friday he plans to retire next month amid a legal challenge to his appointment. Vela’s retirement comes after the nonprofits Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and Western Watersheds Project, an environmental conservation group, sued NPS in May, claiming Bernhardt violated the...

“The head of the Interior Department’s coal mining bureau has a new title. Lanny Erdos, who has been leading the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) for 10 months, was previously the agency’s acting director. Watchdog groups noted in an E&E News article last week that acting directors in positions requiring Senate confirmation...

“It’s not the first time that Republicans in Washington state have chosen a far-right gadfly as their nominee for the governorship, but Tuesday’s primary in which Loren Culp—a small-town cop who has never previously run for elective office—outpaced a large field to take on incumbent Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee marks the first time the party...

“Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Thursday introduced the Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act, a bill to strengthen protections for federal whistleblowers who share valuable information with Congress. The bill is endorsed by the Government Accountability Project, Project on Government Oversight, Public Citizen, Liberty Coalition, National Security Counselors, National Whistleblower Center, Public Employees for...

“Patricia Trap assumed her new role as superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group Area National Parks on August 2. Kate Cannon, who held the position since 2006, retired in January. The group includes both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as Hovenweep and Natural Bridges National Monuments. As deputy director of the Midwest region...

“The acting head of the National Park Service abruptly announced his retirement on Friday, vacating a role that a Senate-confirmed nominee has not held during the entire Trump administration. David Vela, a 30-year career NPS official who assumed the role of acting director of the agency in October, will retire in September, the Interior Department...

“The new chairwoman of a federal agency that investigates major industrial accidents has an unusual problem: she’s the only person on its five-member board, and President Donald Trump wants it shut down. Katherine Lemos said she plans to continue the U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s work after securing a legal opinion that she can operate as...

“David Vela reportedly was replaced Friday as acting director of the National Park Service, the latest upheaval the organization has endured under the Trump administration. There was no official word from the Park Service on Friday morning of the change, but three sources told Traveler that Vela had been replaced by Margaret Everson, who has served...

“Acting National Park Service (NPS) Director David Vela is retiring, he announced Friday, leaving the job amid a lawsuit challenging the legality of his tenure in the post. The lawsuit from Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) challenging continued use of temporary orders to keep Vela in his post also included William Perry Pendley, the...