Policies Ignite Nationwide Review (Image Credits: Flickr)
Boston — A coalition of conservation, historical, and scientific organizations filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of censoring accurate exhibits on slavery, civil rights, Indigenous history, and climate change at sites across the National Park System.[1][2]
Policies Ignite Nationwide Review
President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14253 in March 2025, directing federal agencies to eliminate what it described as a “false revision of history” and “partisan ideology” from public sites. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum followed with Order 3431 in May 2025, instructing the National Park Service to scrutinize and remove interpretive materials deemed to disparage Americans or stray from themes of natural beauty and national achievements.[3][2]
This directive prompted the agency to flag hundreds of signs, panels, and displays nationwide. Park staff received mandates to replace content with QR codes soliciting public input on revisions. Critics argued the moves contradicted longstanding congressional mandates for parks to reflect diverse histories and current science.[1]
The policy shift escalated in early 2026, leading to actual removals at prominent sites. Federal judges already intervened in one case, ordering restoration of materials just days before the broader suit landed in court.[4]
Key Exhibits Pulled or Targeted
Specific instances highlighted in the complaint reveal the scope of changes. At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, panels detailing George Washington’s ownership of enslaved people, including Ona Judge’s escape, vanished last month. A federal judge reinstated them on Presidents’ Day, citing the need for a complete historical account.[1][2]
Climate-related displays faced similar treatment. Signs at Fort Sumter National Monument warned of sea-level rise submerging the site by century’s end. Glacier National Park materials explained vanishing glaciers due to warming temperatures. Grand Canyon exhibits described settlers displacing Native tribes for mining and grazing.[4]
- Acadia National Park, Maine: Panels on climate impacts and Wabanaki significance of Cadillac Mountain.
- Grand Teton National Park: Sign on an 1870 expedition member’s role in a Native American massacre.
- Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, Alabama: About 80 civil rights items flagged.
- Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park, Kansas: Exhibit mentioning “equity.”
- Stonewall National Monument, New York: Permanent rainbow Pride flag removed (related suit).
Claims of Arbitrary Overreach
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, charges violations of the Administrative Procedure Act. Plaintiffs contend the orders lack reasoned explanations and ignore statutes like the National Park Service Organic Act, Centennial Act, and Omnibus Management Act, which require inclusive interpretation and reliance on science.[2]
Defendants include the Department of the Interior, Burgum, the National Park Service, and acting NPS director Jessica Bowron. The groups seek to vacate the orders, halt further removals, and restore all affected materials to their pre-May 2025 state.[4]
A prior ruling by Judge Cynthia Rufe underscored the stakes, invoking George Orwell’s “1984” to decry efforts resembling a “Ministry of Truth.”[1]
Stakeholders Rally Against Censorship
Alan Spears, senior director of cultural resources at the National Parks Conservation Association, stated, “Censoring science and erasing America’s history at national parks are direct threats to everything these amazing places, and our country, stand for.”[1] He added, “As Americans, we deserve national parks that tell stories of our country’s triumphs and heartbreaks alike. We can handle the truth.”[4]
Emily Thompson of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks emphasized, “National parks have a sacred mandate: to preserve and interpret the full breadth of the American experience, the good and the bad.”[4] The Interior Department appealed the Philadelphia order and deemed the suit premature, insisting reviews continue without finalized actions.[1]
Key Takeaways
- The lawsuit targets executive actions from 2025 leading to hundreds of exhibit changes.
- Parks must balance conservation with honest storytelling under federal law.
- Court battles could redefine how America’s parks educate visitors.
As legal proceedings unfold, national parks stand at a crossroads between revision and preservation. These cherished spaces, often called America’s largest classrooms, risk losing vital context if the policies prevail. What do you think about balancing history’s triumphs and tragedies in public spaces? Tell us in the comments.
