Interior Department Appeals Order Requiring Restoration of Removed Park Exhibits by July 4

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit seeking a preliminary injunction to dismiss a judge's ruling that requires restoration of materials at national parks.

U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley ruled on June 12, 2026, that the Interior Department must restore all removed materials within 21 days, setting a deadline of July 4, 2026. By early 2026, the National Park Service had removed or identified for removal hundreds of materials from park sites, including dozens of signs related to climate change, civil rights, and diverse communities, according to the ruling.

Materials removed included signs detailing the impact of climate change at Glacier National Park in Montana and Acadia National Park in Maine.

Displays on atrocities committed against Native American tribes were removed at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming and at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The National Park Service removed the slavery exhibit at the President's House in Philadelphia in January 2026. The exhibit is an outdoor memorial honoring nine enslaved Africans held by President George Washington.

The panels were partially restored in February 2026 following a judge's order, and in April 2026 a judge ordered the National Park Service to preserve the status quo of the exhibit. U.S. founding principles in a negative light.

The lawsuit was filed in February 2026 by a coalition including the National Parks Conservation Association. " "By telling the full story, every triumph, every challenge and every step towards a more perfect union we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here," the spokesperson said.