Conservation groups and historical organizations have sued the Trump administration over new policies they say force national parks to remove exhibits about slavery, climate change, and Indigenous history.
The lawsuit filed in Boston federal court challenges orders requiring the removal of “improper partisan ideology” from America’s most treasured landscapes. From Grand Canyon to Independence Hall, park rangers have reportedly stripped away signage discussing everything from Native American land seizures to the enslaved people who served President Washington.
The legal action targets President Trump’s March 2025 executive order aimed at “restoring truth and sanity to American history” at federal sites. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum followed with a May directive banning displays that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”
Park Service staff began removing materials last summer, according to the lawsuit. At Grand Canyon National Park, displays describe how federal officials claimed tribal lands vanished from visitor centers.
Glacier National Park ordered the removal of all materials explaining climate change’s role in melting glaciers. Fort Sumter stripped signage warning the historic fortress may be underwater by the century’s end.
The President’s House Site at Independence National Historical Park removed an exhibit examining the “paradox between slavery and freedom in the founding of the nation.” Muir Woods deleted references to Indigenous history and women conservationists.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument reportedly removed a geological display because it included an image of a visitor holding a Pride flag. A separate lawsuit filed Tuesday challenges the removal of a rainbow Pride flag from Stonewall National Monument.
The lawsuit claims “thousands” more items have been flagged for removal across dozens of parks. Sites from the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail to the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park face exhibit overhauls.
The coalition filing suit includes the National Parks Conservation Association and Union of Concerned Scientists. They say they’re “committed to protecting the national parks, preserving history, promoting access to high quality scientific information.”
The groups want the interior secretary’s order declared unlawful. They’re asking courts to halt any further removal of historical or scientific information from park exhibits.
The Trump administration hasn’t responded to the lawsuits.
