A new national parks policy is drawing backlash after a deadly weekend

The National Park Service has a new policy about reporting deaths that happen in some of the nation’s most wild places. According to a memo issued in December and recently viewed by The Washington Post, park staff and other workers are no longer authorized to confirm details about injuries and deaths that befall the park’s more than 300 million annual visitors. Serious accidents and fatalities are uncommon but not unheard of in the parks, which host droves of tourists and a huge range of outdoor activities, from peakbagging and sport climbing to whitewater rafting. Historically, the National Parks Service hasn’t hesitated to disclose details about accidents and fatalities in the parks, particularly because that information can be used to help visitors stay safe. On average, 358 people die each year in the parks, mostly from car crashes, drownings, and falls, outside of non-accident medical emergencies like heart attacks. In the memo, the Interior Department states that “Interior shall not confirm a death,” a policy that applies to bureaus like the National Park Service and “all Interior communications involving fatalities, suspected fatalities, serious injuries, or emotionally sensitive incidents,” according to the Washington Post’s reporting. The agency also cautioned employees not to confirm the severity of injuries or provide medical details, leaving the disclosure of deaths and other accident information to unspecified “appropriate authorities,” presumably law enforcement. In a statement to Fast Company, the Interior Department disputed the Post’s characterization of the policy change. “The narrative being presented is false and reflects a significant mischaracterization of the Department’s guidance,” a Department of the Interior spokesperson said, noting that the agency is committed to providing “timely and accurate” information that prioritizes notifying families first. “The guidance was developed to create a more consistent approach to incident communic