To: Doug Burgum, US Secretary of the Interior
Stop Censoring Science & History at Our National Parks
The Trump administration’s ongoing campaign to rewrite and “sanitize” American history at national parks has escalated in recent weeks, leading to the removal of many exhibits across the country, including ones that discuss the history of slavery and enslaved people, civil rights, the treatment of Indigenous peoples, and climate science. The effects of climate change on our nation’s most iconic landscapes and sensitive natural resources are real; simply deleting references to climate science and impacts does not reduce the harm being done.
The National Park Service is one of the country’s largest storytellers of American history, teaching millions of visitors about a wide variety of stories at more than 430 national park sites throughout the United States. Congress has repeatedly established that national parks are intended for the benefit and enjoyment of all, and Congress has been clear that no action may be taken “in derogation of” this purpose, “except as directly and specifically provided by Congress.”
The often conflicting, contradictory and confusing statements issued by the US Department of the Interior in an attempt to implement the president’s censorship directive, about what materials at parks are under review and what signs, films, books, or brochures must be removed, make clear that under your direction the DOI has ignored well-established principles and legal requirements when seeking to censor information at national parks.
I urge you to stop this arbitrary and capricious implementation of censorship and removal. Iconic landscapes and cultural heritage sites across the country are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Ignoring the science and data won’t pause climate change and will instead leave our historical and cultural treasures in peril.
The National Park Service is one of the country’s largest storytellers of American history, teaching millions of visitors about a wide variety of stories at more than 430 national park sites throughout the United States. Congress has repeatedly established that national parks are intended for the benefit and enjoyment of all, and Congress has been clear that no action may be taken “in derogation of” this purpose, “except as directly and specifically provided by Congress.”
The often conflicting, contradictory and confusing statements issued by the US Department of the Interior in an attempt to implement the president’s censorship directive, about what materials at parks are under review and what signs, films, books, or brochures must be removed, make clear that under your direction the DOI has ignored well-established principles and legal requirements when seeking to censor information at national parks.
I urge you to stop this arbitrary and capricious implementation of censorship and removal. Iconic landscapes and cultural heritage sites across the country are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Ignoring the science and data won’t pause climate change and will instead leave our historical and cultural treasures in peril.
Why is this important?
The Trump administration's Department of the Interior is forcing the removal or censoring of national parks exhibits that share factually accurate and relevant US history and scientific knowledge.
This campaign has escalated in recent weeks. The Trump administration has issued directives to National Park Service staff to remove many exhibits across the country, including ones that discuss the history of slavery and enslaved people, civil rights, the treatment of Indigenous peoples, and climate science. The effects of climate change on our nation's most iconic landscapes and sensitive natural resources are real; simply deleting references to climate science and impacts does not reduce the harm being done.
Your help is needed to keep science and history from being removed and censored from America's largest classroom—our national parks! Tell US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum to stop erasing science and history from exhibits within the National Park Service.