The U.S. Department of the Interior is posting signs at national parks across the country asking visitors to report actions that reflect poorly on American history, but some park visitors say they're concerned about the implications.
The signs posted at Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Boston Mill Visitor Center, Canal Exploration Center and along ten trails, encourage people to report negative messaging about "past or living Americans."
"Under Secretary’s Order 3431, all national parks—including ours—were asked to take a closer look at monuments, memorials, and interpretive materials to ensure they reflect our nation’s history," Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park Marketing & Communications Director Jennifer Bako said in an emailed statement.
Some visiting the park, like Jay Pearson from McMinnville, Oregon had not initially noticed the sign at the visitor center. Monday was Pearson's first visit to CVNP. He said the sign encourages people to report material that educates visitors about other cultures.
"National parks that have those interpretives … I just think it suggests that we take all that away," Pearson said. "There's a deeper history there that's more important for us to understand each other. So, I think that is not a positive thing."
In a memo, the National Park Service said it will review any messages found to "perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history…or include any improper partisan ideology."
The signs are posted to emphasize the importance of accuracy in telling American history, at the National Park Service, CVNP Public Information Officer and Community Engagement Supervisor Pam Barnes said in a statement.
"Our visitors come to national parks to celebrate the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of America’s landscapes and extraordinary multicultural heritage," Barnes said in the statement. "This allows them to personally connect with these special places, free of any partisan ideology."
Pearson and his wife make a habit of visiting parks across the country. To him, the sign is a threat to history preservation at national parks, he said.
"It is a place for people to come together, and I think it's the community of America that can come together and read these things about our history," he said. "Whether it's good part of our history or one that was challenging at the moment."
CVNP does a good job of "honoring the complexity" of American history, the conservancy's Jennifer Bako said in the statement. The signs provide another opportunity for input.
"Seeking public input is a normal practice of the park service and we encourage visitors to use their voice to share feedback," she said in the statement. "Together, we can help ensure CVNP continues to be a place where all stories are told, and all people feel welcome."
Amy Smith and Julie Kinzel from Philadelphia were also first-time visitors at CVNP Monday and said they too had not initially seen the sign. Upon learning similar signs were also posted in other national parks, Smith said it raised bigger concerns.
"We celebrate history. We celebrate the United States," she said. "My fear would be that they are trying to suggest that people who are anti-American visit the parks, and I've never seen that. I can't imagine that."
The pair have visited Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Glacier National Park and others. However, after participating in their local No Kings protest Saturday, Kinzel said the signs may lead to a slippery slope.
"I hope that they're not trying to remove the important parts of history that are vital to where we are today and hopefully better than we were," she said, "but I think we're going backwards to tell you the truth."
