Park Service Weighs New Information Policy

Park Service Weighs New Information Policy
By MARY CLARE JALONICK, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

(06-07) 12:29 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

When tourists died in a boating accident in Grand Teton National Park last week, the park's public information officer, Joan Anzelmo, says she wasn't sure what to tell the media.

Anzelmo, who has worked at the Wyoming park for 11 years, usually would have released the names of the victims as soon as the families were notified. But recent park directives have complicated that process, leaving officers confused about whether they are allowed to provide such information.

She eventually released the names of three people who died, after consulting with national headquarters in Washington. But the identities of people injured or killed on public lands may soon be withheld under new policies the Park Service is considering.

Anzelmo says she will follow whatever guidelines the agency provides, but she believes it's best to release official information because it puts rumors and misinformation to rest.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/06/07/national/w122902D15.DTL&type=politics

Privacy concerns my ass. This is just an extension of the fascist administration wanting full media/information control.

prevents opportunistic litigous souls from mining info like this for soots.