National parks caught in the crosshairs of government shutdown : NPR

As Congress remains at a dead point in a Araise to finance government operations, several sites under the service of National Parks (NPS) have stopped their operations.

Throughout the country, parks have been forced to close, operate under reduced personnel or trust external donations to keep the lights in closing stretching on the fourth day.

The lack of a unified plan in all parks and scarce details described by the official government resources has caused confusion about which places can visit Parkgoers or if the closure has based on places to temporarily close their services.

“The national parks are still as accessible as possible the duration of the federal government,” says a warning on the NPS website.

“However, some services can be limited or insecurable,” he continues, with a link that directs readers to a site with contingency plans describes how CF funds would be assigned. close.

A contingency plan for the NPS says that roads, viewpoints and park paths “will generally remain accessible to visitors” during the closure duration, but other services such regular updates of the road condition and trails would not be provident.

“As part of its orderly closing activities, the Park staff will publish signals that will notify visitors that only basic or null services of visitors, maintenance or other management activities will be carried out, and emergency services will be limited,” according to the plan.

In some locations in the park that collect rates, the memorandum stipulates that basic services can be provided in such a way that maintenance baths, collect garbage and road maintenance.

But in some closed parks locations, the services will be stripped to the bone, including garbage collection, bathrooms, road maintenance or walking or visiting information.

NPR contacted NPS on Saturday to comment, but has not received an answer.

Pass the inmates and donations for relief

Several states have tasks in their own hands to give parks that remain an open duration of the federal financing dispute, either directly financing the sites or collecting third party relief to help keep the doors open.

The conformity with the traveler of the national parks, the parks in states, including West Virginia, Utah and Hawaii, have managed to ensure funds and donations necessary to maintain operations temporarily underway.

Visitors in other states have not been so lucky.

Kathy Ten Eyck flew from Utica, New York to New Mexico to visit the bright Dunas of White Sands National Park. Instead, she was with a closing warning.

“I just couldn’t wait, I couldn’t wait, get here,” said Ten Eyck. “We stopped at the [PistachioLand] Just on the street there, and that is where we heard it was closed. “

Kathy Theiot was equally disconsolate out of New Mexico’s park. He had taken his children for more than five home in Taos and expected that they could experience the white sands he remembered from his childhood.

“I’ve been waiting for 10 years to show my children Sands White and the day we are closed, which is very disappointing,” said Theiot.

“But it is very, very sad thought that we arrive next to the road to enjoy part of our country because elected officials cannot get along.”

Vandeism and security

Concerns for the security and responsibility of keeping parks have also been raised without having a robust number of employees available to carry out critical services.

Some of Texas’s famous national parks, such as Big Bend and father Island National Seashore, will continue to be open duration this time, but may have limited staff, according to Texas Public Radio (TPR).

An earlier closure of the government, TPR reported, saw an old rock in Big bles to go to irrelation in the middle of the lack of personnel.

These Conerns have caused some Park defenders to recommend that all parks with a reduction in force be closed until federal funds are ordered.

“Keeping our national parks open after Trump and Republicans forced a government closure is stupid, myopic and incredible dangerous,” said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the center of biological diversity, in a statement.

“We have seen the irreparable damage that can occur when our parks come out with little personal. Vandalmm, garbage and human waste will be natural treasures that are the envy of the world.

Duration The last closure of the government, which in December 2018 began the previous administration of Trump and lasted a 35 -day record, several of the beloved national parks of the United States reported significant damage, including California trees in the Nationalgall.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) has also requested that the parks close, citing problems with the closure of the government that led to vandalism, sanitation problems and ecological damage.

“The Government has closed, and the administration puts our national parks and visitors at risk, ordering the staff to open the doors of the park and leave,” said the president and executive director of the NPCA, Theresa Pierno, in a statement. “It’s not just irresponsible, it’s dangerous.”

Ava Pukatch from NPR contributed to this report.