June 1 – The National Park Service said Friday that one of its employees raised concerns in mid-May about an American flag flying from a truck being used by a construction worker at Denali National Park and Preserve, leading to the flag’s removal.
The incident sparked an online firestorm after it was first reported on conservative news sites, which quoted an anonymous source as saying that Denali Superintendent Brooke Merrell had requested the removal of the flag of a contractor overseeing work on a bridge project completed in the park.
The park service issued a statement Sunday disputing that a service member requested the removal of an American flag. But on Friday, park service spokesman Peter Christian said a park employee notified the Federal Highway Administration earlier this month of a visitor’s complaint about a flag.
“Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that a Denali National Park employee notified FHWA staff of a visitor’s complaint regarding a ‘flapping’ flag on Denali Park Road and asked if there was an appropriate way to request that it be detached from a contractor’s vehicle. to limit the impact on wildlife and visitors,” Christian said in a statement. “The employee contacted FHWA without the permission and knowledge of the Superintendent. Park officials have taken corrective action to ensure that future park and project communications follow proper procedures.”
Word about the flag had been widely circulated on social media in the run-up to Memorial Day and was amplified after Republican U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska wrote a letter – which he posted on social media – to the National Park Service, saying the situation ‘an outrage.”
On Sunday, Fairbanks residents organized what they called a “patriotic convoy” to Denali with vehicles flying American flags. It also led to some disparaging social media posts attacking the park service in general and Merrell in particular.
Christian said earlier this week that “hateful words and threats against NPS employees who work hard every day in Denali National Park are irresponsible and disappointing.”
[Earlier coverage: National Park Service disputes report that it tried to limit display of US flag in Denali]
The location where the incident occurred is within the 6 million-acre park and preserve and is overseen by the Federal Highway Administration. Construction of a 450-foot bridge in the Polychrome Pass area over the Pretty Rocks landslide is being completed primarily by Granite Construction, a private contractor.
“As is always the case with construction in our national parks, the goal is to minimize impact and noise to both visitors and wildlife as much as possible,” Federal Highway Administration spokesperson Angela Gates said in a statement Wednesday.
According to the statement, the park service “has forwarded concerns to the FHWA — as it does with all feedback related to the project — about single-occupant vehicle traffic, as well as a visitor’s complaint about a flag on a vehicle while the vehicle is in motion used to be. “
Highway Administration staff “referred both concerns to the responsible contractor, who addressed the situation according to their usual procedure,” Gates said.
Neither the Federal Highway Administration nor the National Park Service have provided details on the identity of the staff member who reported the complaint about the flag, nor the park visitor who initially filed the complaint.
The contractor, Granite Construction, confirmed that the Highway Administration notified the company on May 16 “that a visitor complained” about a Granite Construction vehicle “causing noise pollution by driving through the park with a flag mounted.”
The highway administration “requested that the flag be removed,” according to a statement from Erin Kuhlman, Granite’s chief marketing and communications officer.
“One of the collaborative goals of the Polychrome project is to preserve the natural elements of the park and preserve the experience of park visitors by keeping a low profile during our work. We keep this goal in mind when planning our work and supporting the project,” Kuhlman said.
“We always do everything we can to respond to and address our customers’ concerns,” Kuhlman added. “Our interest is in completing this important project safely, while taking into account park visitors and their desire to enjoy the landscape and nature.”
Sullivan spokesman Ben Dietderich said earlier this week that the voter who contacted Sullivan’s office was asked to remove the 4-by-6-foot flag from his truck after waving it “without incident.”
“If the Park Service had dismissed this complaint as illegitimate, it would have been the end of the story. But they didn’t. They passed the complaint against this Alaskan on to someone else, without knowing exactly who or for what reason, Dietderich said in an email. “The end result was that after a complaint was filed with the Park Service, a hard-working Alaskan was told by someone to remove the flag from his truck.”
Asked whether Sullivan was concerned about what the National Park Service described as “hateful words and threats” directed at staff members following reports of the incident, Dietderich said: “Senator Sullivan condemns all personal attacks on public officials, including Park Service employees. .”
Furthermore, the spokesperson said Sullivan stood by the letter, which he said was intended to “get details about the incident and ensure it doesn’t happen again.”
