National park staff ordered not to divulge park deaths
The Interior Department has directed National Park Service employees and other agency staff not to publicly confirm deaths or severe injuries in national parks, according to a report.
TL;DR
- Interior Department staff are now prohibited from publicly confirming deaths or severe injuries in national parks.
- A new internal memo instructs employees not to disclose details about fatalities or serious injuries.
- Previously, parks would typically issue news releases confirming deaths after notifying next of kin.
- Current and former employees believe the old practice helped inform visitors about risks on public lands.
- The Interior Department claims the new policy aims for consistent communication and respects privacy and investigative processes.
- National parks see over 300 million visitors annually, with around 350 deaths each year from various causes.