See the "History Under Construction" Forums post on July 25th, 2025 under San Francisco and the Bay Area News and History.
From that piece addressing historical revision and Muir Woods.
"The role of the National Park Service is to preserve history - the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between. It’s not our job to judge what history is worth telling, but to share an accurate and comprehensive history."
By Olivia Hebert, News ReporterUpdated Nov 13, 2025 1:19 p.m.
A prominent Bay Area author said one of his books has been quietly flagged at Yosemite National Park as part of a March 2025 federal directive aiming to remove and revise “negative” information relating to American history.
Naturalist and illustrator Obi Kaufmann wrote in a Facebook post this week that his 2019 book, “The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource,” was identified by park officials as restricted under President Donald Trump’s executive order “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” Kaufmann said the flagging means that while Yosemite bookstores will not pull copies from the shelves, they will no longer purchase new copies of his book.
“The State of Water” explores what has led to California’s current water crisis, “exposing a history of unlimited growth in spite of finite natural resources,” according to its publisher, Heyday Books. In the book, Kaufmann cautions against further developing California’s waterways, highlighting that conserving and restoring the ecosystem is not only a moral issue but a matter of survival.
Kaufmann’s focus on ecological decline and water exploitation may explain why the book’s been targeted, Jonathan Rosenfield, science director at San Francisco Baykeeper, told SFGATE.
“His book being banned just shows you what the administration is scared of,” Rosenfield said, adding that water is California’s most precious resource and that its aquatic ecosystems, fishing jobs and recreational activities are all threatened by the Trump administration’s agenda supporting energy development and corporate interests.
Trump admin to ban book from Yosemite National Park, says author
Greg