The National Parks Were Reportedly Told to Stay Silent on Deaths
Key takeaways
- A newly revealed internal memo allegedly bans National Park Service (NPS) staff from publicly reporting the deaths or severity of injuries at America’s national parks, according to a new report.
- According to a report recently published by The Washington Post, the Department of the Interior (DOI), which oversees NPS, distributed a memo to employees in December.
- In an email to Outside, a spokesperson for the DOI said the “narrative being presented is false and reflects a significant mischaracterization of the Department’s guidance.”
Adventure>Environment The National Parks Were Reportedly Told to Stay Silent on Deaths. Experts Say It Could Make Trails Deadlier.Newly revealed guidance issued by the Department of the Interior reportedly prohibits National Park staff from publicly releasing information about deaths across 435 sites nationwide. Experts say this puts visitors at risk. Listen to this article Listen Share Icon Share Bookmark Icon Save Park staff and those who speak to the media were reportedly prohibited from notifying the public about deaths and certain injuries across 435 NPS sites nationwide (Photo: Joel Carillet/Getty Images)
A newly revealed internal memo allegedly bans National Park Service (NPS) staff from publicly reporting the deaths or severity of injuries at America’s national parks, according to a new report. Experts say this shift in transparency not only sets a dangerous precedent for park management but could also put visitors at risk.
According to a report recently published by The Washington Post, the Department of the Interior (DOI), which oversees NPS, distributed a memo to employees in December. Park staff and those who speak to the media were reportedly prohibited from notifying the public about deaths and certain injuries across 435 NPS sites nationwide.