A former National Park Service employee is drawing backlash after traveling to some of the USA’s most iconic national parks to hand out unofficial materials and recruit children into a “Junior Resistance Ranger” program.
Melissa Dalley, who left her job at the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site in New York in April, has been visiting national parks including Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier as part of an activist campaign.
At Grand Teton National Park’s Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, Dalley approached tourists to point out where a display about a massacre of Native Americans had previously been located.
Her activities have drawn criticism online, with some accusing the former ranger of bringing political activism into national parks.
One person wrote: “I am not worried about censorship as much as propagandizing. The Biden and Obama administrations are largely responsible for replacing factual information with the types of biased information removed by the Trump administration. This lady is disseminating propaganda.”
Another added on social media: “Ex ranger from Teton national Park harassed tourist and destroys tree to pass out flyers.”
Dalley helped launch America433+, a group that has partnered with Resistance Rangers — a collective of former and off-duty park employees.
The group’s first “teach-in” took place at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park after photographs and educational materials related to slavery were removed from exhibits.
Dalley criticized Secretarial Order 3431, issued in May 2025, which directed federal agencies to remove content that “inappropriately disparage[s] Americans past or living” and instead emphasize the nation’s achievements and natural beauty.
A federal appeals court in July allowed the administration’s review process to continue after overturning a lower court ruling that had required the government to restore removed materials.
“It’s just such an easy conversation to have with people that wanted to talk about it and didn’t know about it,” Dalley told SFGATE.
“There are millions of people who are coming to these sites today who are not getting the full story,” Dalley said. “That’s an irreparable loss to me.”
She also claimed some park employees have delayed creating new exhibits while waiting for a future administration.
“They’re waiting for this administration to go away so that they can continue the work,” Dalley said. “The chilling effect is real.”
She acknowledged that while handing out flyers is generally permitted, parks have different rules governing organized events and larger demonstrations.
“I always tell everybody, ‘Tell everyone you know,’” she said. “‘You met this crazy lady on your vacation, and this is important.’”
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