Challenging Unlawful Erasure of History and Science in National Parks

This case challenges a Trump-Vance administration policy that directs the removal and censorship of historical and scientific information from national parks across the country.

For more than a century, Congress has required that national parks – managed by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) – be preserved and interpreted for the benefit of the public, including by presenting accurate history and current scientific knowledge. National parks serve as “America’s largest classroom,” educating millions of visitors each year about the country’s history, culture, and environment.

In March 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to remove or revise information that does not align with the administration’s preferred narrative. In May 2025, the Secretary of the Interior issued an order requiring NPS staff to identify and remove so-called “disfavored” materials.

The NPS began flagging, removing, and altering exhibits, signs, and educational materials across the country. These have included information about slavery, civil rights, Indigenous history, and climate change. In some cases, materials were removed without review or replaced with incomplete or misleading information.

The plaintiffs are organizations dedicated to protecting national parks, preserving history, promoting scientific integrity, and ensuring public access to accurate educational materials. They include the National Parks Conservation Association, the American Association for State and Local History, the Association of National Park Rangers, the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, the Society for Experiential Graphic Design, and the Union of Concerned Scientists.

They allege that the administration’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act because they are arbitrary, exceed statutory authority, and ignore Congress’s clear mandate for how national parks must be managed.

The lawsuit further explains that the policy harms the public by limiting access to accurate information, undermining the integrity of national parks, and interfering with the work of historians, scientists, educators, and park professionals. It also damages the ability of visitors to fully understand the country’s history and the environmental challenges facing public lands.

The plaintiffs seek to block the policy, restore removed materials, and ensure that national parks continue to provide complete, accurate, and evidence-based information to the public.