That’s according to a December Department of Interior memo published by the Washington Post on July 24.
The memo states, “The guidance was developed to create a more consistent approach to incident communications across the Department and is not intended to conceal fatalities or delay information.”
It also states the department will not confirm a death and “may state only that an individual was transported and the method of transport.”
St. George News reports Bill Wade, the executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, said this procedure marks a shift in longstanding practice to be as transparent as possible.
With the new reporting guidelines, “only proper authorities” can confirm a fatality within a park. But, St. George News reports, the memo does not specify who those authorities could be.
Between June 19 and June 22, four people died in national parks and monuments across the country.
The National Park Service did not release statements about any of the deaths, although they were reported by local outlets in the various regions.
According to National Park Service mortality data, the cause of every death in a national park since September 2025 has been listed as “undetermined.” No deaths at all have been listed since February 2026.
