NPS’s public historians use the authenticity of place to make the history parks share more accurate, relevant, and accessible to everyone. But what is happening now threatens our ability to do that, and will ultimately reduce public trust in the parks. Secretary’s Order 3431, released in May 2025, demands that parks report and remove any public-facing content such as signs, exhibits, and webpages that include “images, descriptions, depictions, messages, narratives or other information (content) that inappropriately disparages Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times)....”

Cuts to staffing, frozen funding, travel limitations, and further proposed budget cuts have already abruptly halted critical projects for cultural documentation, historical research, and training and will impact more. These vital conduits for external expertise and collaborative efforts are being shattered, weakening the NPS’s ability to protect our history and nurture essential relationships.