An internal Department of the Interior memo from December allegedly prohibits National Park Service employees from confirming deaths or injury severity at 435 park sites nationwide, according to The Washington Post. The policy restricts staff to stating only that incidents occurred, with general location and ongoing investigation details, while banning any medical information release.

The memo states "Interior shall not confirm a death" and applies across all Interior bureaus, requiring only appropriate authorities to provide confirmations. A DOI spokesperson called the reported narrative "false" and said the guidance aims for consistent incident communications while respecting family privacy and investigative processes.

Recent unreported deaths include a 23-year-old who fell at Yosemite National Park and a teenage girl who drowned in Sequoia National Park. Former NPS veteran Bill Wade warned the change erodes public trust and removes a critical safety tool that historically reinforced visitor risk-awareness through measured reporting.

Search-and-rescue expert Dan Whitten noted varying jurisdictional responsibilities across parks—from exclusive federal authority at Yosemite to county-level investigations at Joshua Tree—create coordination challenges that could justify some communication restrictions. However, limiting basic incident acknowledgment reduces transparency when timely warnings could prevent future accidents.