Fight For Our State’s National Parks

I urge you to publicly call on the Department of the Interior to abandon its appeal of the federal court ruling requiring the restoration of historical and scientific materials removed from our national parks and monuments. Protecting our national parks is not only the right thing to do—it is an economic necessity. National parks attract millions of visitors every year, generating billions of dollars in visitor spending, supporting local businesses, creating thousands of jobs, and producing vital tax revenue for surrounding communities. According to the National Park Service, park visitors spend billions annually in gateway communities, fueling hotels, restaurants, outfitters, retailers, and other small businesses. Protecting our parks protects our state’s economy. National parks are also among America’s most trusted classrooms. Visitors expect truthful, evidence-based interpretation—not politically edited exhibits. The federal court correctly recognized that removing information about slavery, Indigenous peoples, the Civil Rights Movement, climate change, and other documented history undermines the National Park Service’s mission to preserve and interpret our nation’s full story. History should never be rewritten for political convenience. Honest education strengthens civic understanding, prepares future generations, and ensures we learn from both our achievements and our failures. Attempts to censor history in our parks threaten the integrity of public education everywhere. Our state has every reason to stand up for its national parks. They preserve our heritage, attract visitors from around the world, sustain local economies, and support hardworking families whose livelihoods depend on tourism. Please publicly oppose the Interior Department’s appeal and urge the administration to restore the removed historical and scientific materials immediately. Defending honest history is good for education, good for democracy, and good for our economy. Our national parks—and the communities that depend on them—deserve nothing less.