Why NPS's latest revamp of Muir Woods National Monument has sparked a row
According to reports, the National Parks Service (NPS) has removed the explainer in it's latest revamp of the park. It also removed the mention of the racist past of some of the celebrated figures associated with the park. A report by the San Francisco-based news website, SFGATE, cited a forest ranger who worked on the exhibit's removal to confirm that it was removed as part of a NPS revamp.
The report stated that the removal was done as per a directive from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum asking the removal of what President Donald Trump has called "improper ideology" from monuments and parks.
A ranger, cited in another report by 19thNews, said that the removal took place last week under an initiative by NPS called 'History Under Construction.' The objective of the initiative was to fill the gaps in the park's historical timeline to provide a more 'comprehensive history', the report stated.
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What did the removed exhibits contain?
The website of NPS stated that the removed signage was added to the exhibit at the Muir Woods National Monument in 2021. It highlighted the work of 'The California Club' - an all-women's club that launched the first campaign in 1903 to save the iconic old-growth redwood trees in the park. Additionally, the role of some of the indigenous tribes in conserving the area, such as the Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo tribes, has also been removed.
The changes made in the 2021 revamp also included highlighting the racist background of some of the otherwise celebrated men associated with the park. The report by 19thNews stated that among the figures whose political background has been cleaned in the latest revamp are William Kent, the man who bought and donated the park to the federal government; the eugenics links Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of the US Forest Service, among others.
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