Overview
- The November memo instructs superintendents to examine all retail products in park stores under SO 3416, which enforces the president’s Day One executive order curbing DEI programs.
- Items deemed inconsistent with the order, including products tied to DEI, DEIA, or environmental justice, must be removed from sale immediately after review.
- The Interior Department says the goal is to keep parks focused on preservation and ensure gift shops do not promote specific viewpoints.
- The National Parks Conservation Association and other groups argue the directive amounts to censorship that undermines educational goals and misdirects limited resources.
- Park personnel were given no examples or training on implementation, creating uncertainty despite existing vendor vetting processes, and some vendors report related items were already pulled earlier this year.