Sen. John Thune is calling on the National Parks Service to release details about the security breach at Mount Rushmore that allowed Greenpeace demonstrators to unfurl a protest banner on the iconic stone sculpture.

The South Dakota Republican sent a letter to NPS director Jon Jarvis on Wednesday asking that more information be released about the July 8 demonstration at the national memorial and the security questions it raised. Officials at Mount Rushmore and with the regional and national NPS offices have so far declined to release information from a security review on the incident, even though an NPS official said almost two months ago that the information might be released that week.

Thune said Wednesday that such confusing delays are not acceptable.

"We were like everybody else in being told that there would be more information made public. That hasn't happened, and I don't know why," Thune said. "This was a major incident at a national shrine in South Dakota. And it's high time we got answers."

In his letter to NPS Director Jon Jarvis, Thune said "contradictory statements" by NPS personnel have raised questions with the public about the security of the national memorial and how it will be protected in the future. Without divulging key security points, the NPS can release enough information so the public can understand what happened and what is being done to shore up security, Thune said.

"There are sensitivities about some of these security issues. But I don't think that excuses the amount of time that has elapsed. A commitment was made that there would be information forthcoming, and it hasn't happened," Thune said. "They need to give us some answers for the public to have faith in the ability of the NPS to keep our parks secure. And I think that ability has been called into question."

Thune wrote in the letter that he understands investigators are working to "determine the extent of the security breakdown and exactly how Greenpeace obtained access to Mount Rushmore. But, to date, no information has been shared with the general public other than how park officials responded after the July 8 incident."

Thune, Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson and Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin have been briefed on the investigation. But Thune said that's not good enough.

"I believe that additional details need to be shared publicly to the extent their disclosure would not conflict with the ongoing investigation and prosecution of the individuals who have been charged in this matter," he wrote.

Eleven Greenpeace protesters were charged with federal misdemeanors related to the protest and await court action.

Thune's letter comes on the heels of a report from the Government Accountability Office which sharply criticized security at the nation's national parks and historic icons. The GAO stated that the Park Service has inadequate security training and undefined security roles, does not have reliable security performance analysis measures in place, and does not share key security information throughout the sites it operates.

Thune said the GAO study has "shed some light on these problems," and serves to emphasize that the public deserves more transparency and cooperation from the NPS.

Mount Rushmore spokesman Navnit Singh and NPS regional public information coordinator Patty Rooney of Omaha, Neb., said Wednesday that they hadn't seen Thune's letter and couldn't comment on his request for more information.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com

To see the letter John Thune sent to the National Park Service, click here.

To see the U.S. Government Accountability Office's report on security in the nation's national parks, click here.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com