Government shuts down
National parks: Leaders want them open; many will close
On the brink of a government shutdown, the Trump administration on Friday was calling for many national parks to remain open even as other federal offices were set to lock up. In reality, though, staffing cuts and security concerns would probably bring plenty of park gates down.
Managers of individual parks, including Yosemite and Golden Gate National Recreation Area, were struggling late Friday to figure out what to do if Congress couldn’t reach a deal to keep operational funds flowing by the end-of-day deadline, which passed without an agreement.
“The blame should crash entirely on President Trump’s shoulders. Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader
Park leaders appeared to want to maintain access for visitors, as Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke urged earlier this week, but they also worried that basic services such as restroom maintenance and emergency response would be limited, leading to unkempt park property and potentially lifethreatening risks for the public.
Figuring out what to open and what to close was amounting to a careful risk assessment.
Parks that require more caretaking, such as spots in the Sierra Nevada where snowplows are a mainstay, were more likely to shut down, while beaches and urban parks were more likely to welcome the public. Visitor centers, historical sites, campgrounds and full-service restrooms were widely expected to close.
Independent businesses that operate in the parks, including gift shops, gas stations, restaurants and hotels, may be permitted to operate after the vote that shut down the government, but only if they can do so without park services. Yosemite’s concessionaire, Aramark, said Friday it planned to continue running shuttles, shops and lodging.
The National Park Service, like most federal agencies, would be hit by significant staffing reductions during a shutdown. While employees deemed “essential,” such as park police and law enforcement rangers, would remain on the job, maintenance staff, visitor service employees and general park patrols would be curtailed.
During previous government shutdowns in 2013 and 1995-96, most national parks closed roads, barricaded parking lots and padlocked restrooms in an effort to limit problems both for the sites and visitors.
A contingency plan drawn up in September, when this year’s budget stalemate first emerged, called for a similar response, with instructions for the public to “to leave the park immediately.”
However, because past park closures triggered widespread outcry, many in Washington have hoped to avoid a similar reaction if operational funds cease again.
“In the event of a shutdown, national parks and other public lands will remain as accessible as possible while still following all applicable laws and procedures,” said Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift.
“The American public and especially our veterans who come to our nation’s capital should find war memorials and open-air parks open to the public. Additionally many of our national parks, refuges and other public lands will still try to allow limited access wherever possible.”
Some expressed concern about the Interior Department’s approach. They said a plan to leave parks open without adequate staffing was a huge risk by a Republican administration seeking to limit backlash to a shutdown.
“The parks are being used in the shutdown game of chicken,” said Kate Kelly, a former Interior Department official and now public lands director for the Center for American Progress. “By keeping the parks open, they can lessen the political blowback.
“This is a shortsighted decision,” she said.