Two filmmakers and two nonprofit organizations say that requiring permits for commercial filmmakers working in public areas violates first amendment rights, according to a civil complaint filed this week against the National Park Service and Grand Tetons National Park. In a civil rights violation complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Wyoming, plaintiffs Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith, supported by the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), claim that federal permit and fee requirements for national parks restrict First Amendment rights.
The case stems from an incident in August of 2024 where Rienzie and Burkesmith applied for a permit to film an attempt to break a climbing record in Grand Teton National Park. According to the lawsuit, the permit was declined and the permit fee not returned despite applying weeks in advance and “using equipment no more intrusive than a typical park tourist’s gear.”
