Visitors deserve the full picture of history at America’s national parks, as well as key information about climate change, pollution, development, and other environmental threats to these iconic places.
BOSTON – Today, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and a broad coalition of scientists, historians, and advocates filed a new lawsuit before the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts to halt the Trump administration’s efforts to erase history and censor science in America’s national parks.
The case is National Parks Conservation Association et. al. v. Department of the Interior, et. al. Co-plaintiffs for this litigation include the Association of National Park Rangers, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, the American Association of State and Local Historians, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Society for Experiential Graphic Design. All plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy and public education, and regulatory engagement.
In early 2025, the Trump administration issued an alarming executive order (and an accompanying Interior Secretary’s order) instructing National Park Service staff to review signage and educational materials at all national parks, and censor factual information that “disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times)” or emphasizes matters unrelated to the beauty, abundance, or grandeur of natural features.
In practice, this meant park rangers were told to discard valuable signs and educational materials created after years of historical scholarship and scientific research, because the administration deemed those materials “disparaging,” or not focusing enough on the “beauty and grandeur,” of parks. These orders forced National Park Service staff to flag materials deemed “out of compliance,” which have included exhibits about topics such as slavery, discrimination, the Civil Rights Movement, harm to Indigenous people, climate change, pollution, and more.
Following this order and subsequent “review,” the administration instructed the National Park Service to remove signs, brochures, waysides, and other factual materials at national parks. Key examples include:
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At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, park staff followed administration orders to dismantle the President’s House exhibit, which told the story of enslaved people at George Washington’s home. Journalists with the Philadelphia Inquirer captured video of staff removing signage with crowbars, spurring outrage across the country.
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At Acadia National Park, rangers removed factual signs about climate change, intense rain, and hotter park temperatures at the iconic Cadillac Mountain and Great Meadow areas.
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At Fort Sumter, factual signs that informed visitors about sea level rise that threatens the fort have been removed as a result of these orders. Fort Sumter is the site of the start of the Civil War and is one of the national parks most threatened by climate change.
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At Grand Teton National Park, signage discussing the complicated legacy of Gustavus Cheyney Doane, a member of an early Yellowstone expedition who had participated in a massacre of Native Americans, has reportedly been removed on orders of the administration.
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At Muir Woods National Park, rangers were forced to take down a creative exhibit that discussed the role of women in protecting the park and biographical, fact-checked information about Muir.
The administration also ordered signs posted at every single national park, asking visitors to report so-called negative information about past or living Americans. Each sign included a QR code to report findings to the Department of the Interior. NPCA independently obtained data from these QR codes, finding that the majority of entries either commented on maintenance issues or showed overwhelming support for Park Service rangers and factual interpretation of science and history.
Polling conducted by NPCA and YouGov found that across the political spectrum, more than 3 in 4 Americans (78%) agree that national parks should not remove photos, signs or other materials that tell factual aspects of America’s history, directly refuting the administration’s push to censor educational and historical materials in parks.
In 2016, a bipartisan Congress unanimously agreed that high-quality interpretation and education is an essential part of the park experience. Under the National Park Service Centennial Act, the National Park Service is required by law to ‘‘…ensure that management of System units and related areas is enhanced by the availability and use of a broad program of the highest quality interpretation and education.”
More than two-thirds of America’s national park sites are primarily devoted to protecting history and culture, and historic and cultural resources can be found in every national park. The Park Service is one of the country’s largest repositories of American history, protecting millions of historic artifacts and landmarks. National Park Service staff are tasked with the herculean effort of helping manage more than 26,000 historic structures, and nearly 185 million historic artifacts in the National Park Service’s possession.
The administration’s order violates the values and mission of the National Park Service, an agency known for its world-class historical interpretation and fascinating scientific discoveries. Millions of visitors from around the world come to national parks each year for authentic, honest experiences. Visitors deserve the full picture of history at America’s national parks, as well as key information about climate change, pollution, development, and other environmental threats to these iconic places.
Alan Spears, National Parks Conservation Association Senior Director for Cultural Resources, issued the following statement on this new litigation:
“In filing this litigation, we are taking a stand for the soul of our national parks. Censoring science and erasing America’s history at national parks are direct threats to everything these amazing places, and our country, stand for.
“Government censorship in our national parks violates the very ideals our country was built on. Today, we rise to defend the brave, hardworking rangers who come to parks every day to share American history and science with millions of visitors from around the world. Our rangers are dedicated public servants who signed up to protect awe-inspiring landscapes and fascinating history, not hide it from the public.
“National parks serve as living classrooms for our country, where science and history come to life for visitors. Our parks are our common ground, unifying us in the stories of our past and the hope we collectively have for our future. We the people deserve and demand a national park system that tells true stories of Black communities, Indigenous tribes, and countless other fascinating chapters of our history. As Americans, we deserve national parks that tell stories of our country’s triumphs and heartbreaks alike. We can handle the truth.
“The National Parks Conservation Association was established more than one hundred years ago as the fearless and outspoken nonpartisan voice for America’s national parks, and we will not sit on the sidelines in this pivotal fight. We will not watch idly as the Department of Interior distorts accurate, inclusive storytelling at national parks. We will see the administration in court.”
Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward, issued the following statement on this new litigation:
“America’s national parks are a living classroom, telling the stories of sacrifice, perseverance, and hope so that every visitor can learn our history and the world around us.
“You cannot tell the story of America without recognizing both the beauty and the tragedy of our history. You cannot truly love America without understanding our country’s true history and what it teaches about the country we must work together to build and the country that we can be. The president’s effort to erase history and science in our national parks violates federal law, and is a disgrace that neither honors our country’s legacy nor its future. Democracy Forward is honored to work with these organizations, each committed to telling America’s story, to hold the administration accountable and protect the benefits national parks offer all who visit.”
Additional statements and information about NPCA’s proud partners in this litigation may be found in this coalition press release.
About the National Parks Conservation Association: Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than 1.9 million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.