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The Trump administration’s Department of the Interior has changed how the National Park Service communicate about serious incidents in our national parks. Under the new policy, park staff are instructed not to confirm when someone has died, instead providing only limited information while incidents are under investigation.
While protecting families’ privacy and ensuring next of kin are notified is important, this policy goes too far. National parks are public lands, and timely information about fatal accidents can alert visitors to dangerous conditions such as flash floods, extreme heat, wildlife encounters, hazardous trails, or unsafe waterways. Transparency also helps the public understand what happened, builds trust in park management, and allows lessons to be learned that could prevent future tragedies.
Public safety and compassion for families are not mutually exclusive. Parks can withhold names and personal details until families have been notified while still informing visitors that a fatal incident occurred and explaining any hazards involved. Restricting that information risks leaving the public less informed about dangers in places millions of people visit each year.
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