National Parks Brace for Limited Operations During Government Shutdown
As a potential government shutdown looms,the National Park Service (NPS) has outlined its contingency plan,released Tuesday by the Department of the Interior. The plan details how the agency will operate wiht significantly reduced staffing – approximately 9,296 of its 14,500 employees will be furloughed – while attempting to keep many park areas accessible to the public. You can find the full plan here.
Despite the shutdown, most park roads, trails, lookouts, and open-air memorials will remain open for visitation. However, the level of service available will vary significantly depending on whether a park collects entrance fees and has accessible areas. A list of fee-collecting parks is available on the NPS website here.
Roughly 100 of the 400 parks within the National Park System charge entrance fees. These parks with accessible areas will utilize those collected fees to maintain essential services, including restroom sanitation, trash removal, road upkeep, campground operations, law enforcement, emergency response, and staffing entrance stations to provide safety details.
Parks with accessible areas that do not collect entrance fees may be able to draw on regional or national funds, pending approval from the NPS director.
However,parks lacking accessible areas will essentially cease operations. Minimal staffing will be maintained,and no visitor services will be provided. This means no permits will be issued,interpretive programs cancelled,trash collection suspended,restrooms closed,roads and walkways left unmaintained (including snow removal),and visitor information unavailable. The NPS plan directs that any facilities typically locked during non-business hours - buildings, gated lots – should remain secured throughout the shutdown.
To mitigate the impact, the NPS is authorized to pursue agreements with state and local governments, as well as private organizations, to accept donations that could fund continued park operations or specific services.
