Park Service Officials Must Stick to Bush Talking Points

WASHINGTON, DC, May 13, 2004 (ENS) - The National Park Service has directed its superintendents to apply for prior approval before they depart from “talking points” provided to them on controversial issues, according to internal emails made public Wednesday by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Following revelations by retired parks employees that current park superintendents are supposed to mask budget cutbacks by calling them “service level adjustments,” the National Park Service Headquarters Washington Office (WASO) and regional offices have been issuing scripts or “talking points” that park superintendents must follow in communicating with the media.

One directive issued in April states, “Interviews with media regarding budget are to be consistent with WASO talking points on ‘service level adjustments’ issued several weeks ago. Anything more in depth needs to be ‘blessed’ at region or WASO level.”

The long list of official talking points is unrelentingly positive about the Bush administration's handling of parks, despite bipartisan calls in Congress requests by environmental groups for more funding to handle a multi-million dollar maintenance backlog.

One talking point mentioned in the internal email begins with a question that might be posed by media. "The National Parks Conservation Association and other organizations claim that there are huge operations budget shortfalls in parks? Are there huge shortfalls and what are you doing to address the issue?"

"Recommended response/message: This Administration is very committed to preserving the resources of the National Park System, and we are working hard to find creative solutions to addressing the challenges confronting parks today."

“Despite the challenges, NPS has fared well under President Bush…” is aother line superintendents are supposed to feed the media.

“The Bush Administration is committed to dramatically improving air quality,” says another.

“Talking points are nothing new and are often useful but, in the past, this guidance did not come with gag orders attached,” said PEER Executive Director attorney Jeff Ruch whose organization also represents U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers. She is forbidden from granting media interviews without clearance from the Park Service Director or Deputy Director after being suspended for telling a "Washington Post" reporter about staff shortfalls in the Capital District.

By contrast a movement is building in Congress to obtain more money for national parks. Senators Craig Thomas, a Wyoming Republican and Bob Graham, a Florida Democrat, sponsored a letter sent May 6 to the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee requesting an additional $240 million for the national parks.

Twenty senators signed the letter, which said, “While the National Park Service’s operating budget has increased in recent years, it has failed to keep pace with the increasing demands placed on our parks."

"As you are aware," the senators wrote, "annual funding shortfalls have been exacerbated in recent years by Park Service absorption of homeland security costs, cost-of-living increases, and the rising costs of supplies, as well as several across-the-board cuts to Interior agencies.”

“Our national parks need more champions like Craig Thomas and Bob Graham,” said National Parks Conservation Association President Thomas Kiernan. “The parks face myriad threats - one of the worst being insufficient funding, which is affecting the experiences of visitors and the ability of the National Park Service to protect the natural treasures and historic artifacts that make the parks worth preserving in the first place.”

“The reason that feel-good institutions like national parks have turned into bad news bears for the Bush Administration is solely because of misplaced attempts like this to suppress facts, hide problems and spread disinformation,” said Ruch. “National park superintendents should not be forced to lie to keep their jobs.”

By contrast to the new talking point policy, the National Park Service media guide advises employees, "Don’t lie. Lies are spelled with seven letters: T-R-O-U-B-L-E.”

“Don’t keep secrets. Where facts are known, tell them, unless you have a good reason not to. If there is a reason to withhold facts, tell the reason,” the media guide states, also advising, “Don’t ‘stonewall."

Read Park Service “talking points” on budgets, cutbacks and clean air http://www.peer.org/PARK_SERVICE/talkingpointsmemo.html

View the National Park Service media guide that advises telling the truth http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/refdesk/sgtpa_2.pdf