Sierra Club’s efforts have uncovered Americans’ responses to federal orders to erase and whitewash American history on public lands. In July 2025, Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program submitted Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the Department of Interior (DOI) and its sub-agencies in order to shine a light on Secretary Order 3431, an order issued by DOI Secretary Doug Burgum in May 2025 ordering a review of signage, websites, and other language used across public lands to ensure they did not contain “descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living,” and to instead focus on “the greatness of achievements” and “the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.” It also ordered QR codes placed at various sites so that Americans could report any text insufficiently praising American history.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) documents uncovered through this request showed that public responses submitted via those QR codes largely rejected the administration’s agenda. Many comments voiced opposition to rewriting history on public lands while others were critical of the Trump administration’s efforts to defund public lands and the agencies that manage them. Still others noted that public lands required more funding and more upkeep. These comments were picked up by numerous news outlets highlighting how the administration’s efforts had backfired. BLM also responded that in each of its 12 states, employees had reported no signage requiring review.
The National Park Service has not responded to Sierra Club’s FOIA requests within the legally required timeframe. Sierra Club’s Environmental Law Program is actively pursuing its legal options to ensure that the National Park Service provides a response. Staff Attorney Nihal Shrinath submitted the original FOIA requests to DOI.