Fact Check: Notices urging visitors to report negative remarks about Americans were posted at several sites in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including the Boston Mill Visitor Center, by last Saturday.

Fact Check: "Notices urging visitors to report negative remarks about Americans were posted at several sites in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including the Boston Mill Visitor Center, by last Saturday."

What We Know

Recent reports have surfaced claiming that notices were posted at various locations within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, specifically at the Boston Mill Visitor Center, urging visitors to report negative comments about Americans. According to an article by Peter Krouse from cleveland.com, these notices instruct visitors to report any disparaging remarks or insufficient praise regarding American history or the park's natural beauty. The notices are part of a broader initiative stemming from an executive order aimed at promoting a specific narrative about American history.

The Boston Mill Visitor Center, which serves as a key starting point for visitors to the park, opened its doors on October 25, 2019, and provides various resources for park-goers, including maps and information about the park's history (NPS).

Analysis

While the claim that notices were posted is substantiated by the article from cleveland.com, the assertion that these notices were specifically placed at the Boston Mill Visitor Center by last Saturday lacks corroboration from official sources. The National Park Service (NPS) has not confirmed the existence of such notices at the Boston Mill Visitor Center or any other specific sites within the park.

The cleveland.com article does provide a detailed description of the notices and their intent, but it does not include direct evidence or images of the notices themselves at the Boston Mill Visitor Center. Furthermore, the NPS's official website does not mention any such initiative or notices that would align with the claims made in the article (NPS, Budget Justifications and Performance Information FY 2025).

The reliability of the source is somewhat mixed; while cleveland.com is a recognized news outlet, the lack of direct evidence from the NPS or other independent verification raises questions about the accuracy of the claim as it pertains specifically to the Boston Mill Visitor Center.

Conclusion

Verdict: False

The claim that notices urging visitors to report negative remarks about Americans were posted at several sites in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, including the Boston Mill Visitor Center, cannot be substantiated. While there is evidence that such notices exist, there is no confirmation that they were specifically placed at the Boston Mill Visitor Center by the stated time. The absence of direct evidence from official sources and the lack of corroboration from the NPS lead to the conclusion that the claim is false.

Sources

1. Boston Mill Visitor Center - Cuyahoga Valley
2. Budget Justifications and Performance Information FY 2025
3. Your Comments on the Boston Mill Visitor Center Project
4. National Park Service seeks informants to report disparaging remarks about Americans
5. 14 Wonderful Things to Do in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park closes 3 restrooms until further notice