The ongoing government shutdown has conservationists on edge. Park officials are just as worried about safety as they are about impact management and the degradation of U.S. national parks. The shutdown started on Wednesday after a standoff between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over a new spending proposal. Most national parks are still open to the public, although most have little to no staff on duty. Increasingly, this extreme circumstance has led to demands for temporary shutterings.
Kristen Brengel is senior vice president for government affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). Most recently, she has sounded the alarm on keeping our parks open during this shutdown. She reiterated that the staffing shortage puts both visitors and staff at risk.
“It’s reckless and puts both visitors and park resources at risk,” former park superintendents said in a letter addressed to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, urging him to consider closing the parks until normal operations can resume. The letter highlighted past shutdowns’ detrimental effects, including “iconic symbols cut down and vandalized, trash piled up, habitats destroyed, and visitor safety jeopardized.”
Bill Wade, the executive director at the National Park Service’s employee association for national park rangers, agreed. He noted that leaving parks open in their current state is “dangerous,” as visitors “could get in trouble and have to wait a long time for assistance.” Wade delineated how the possible harm to park resources skyrockets when there’s insufficient oversight.
Brengel continued to detail the dangers of going to the parks right now. She warned, “I definitely wouldn’t advise entering over the weekend. With staff so severely limited, you’re really rolling the dice on that one.” Her testimony highlighted the potential lasting impact of the shutdown, as well, which included visits being delayed or in some instances, permanently lost. Once it’s done, if national parks incur catastrophic damage, there will be less people out there to preserve and protect them, she said.
The picture gets a lot worse. At the start of this fiscal year, the Trump administration enforced mass employee firings in order to curb federal spending. Countless national park sites are already feeling the effects from this shortage in funding and resources, with many already operating under extreme duress.
Senator John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat, has weighed in on the matter, suggesting that states like his could blame Republicans for both park closures and staffing shortages. He was attuned to the human cost of the shutdown on communities that depend on national parks for their economic and recreational needs.
The federal government shutdown is into its second week. In retaliation, conservationists have accused tourists of killing U.S. national parks. With reports of empty fee stations, such as one at the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park, the lack of comprehensive visitor information poses additional challenges.