How Would A Government Shutdown Affect National Parks?

Above, Grand Canyon National Park would be kept open by the state of Arizona. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

How will a government shutdown affect the national parks?

That is a question that many are asking. Some states, such as Arizona and Utah, will pay to keep theirs open if necessary.

The question is being discussed in The Hill.

They begin with:

(NEXSTAR) – As the clock ticks closer to the looming weekend deadline, a government shutdown was looking increasingly likely Thursday. A federal shutdown could end up being bad news for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, people who rely on government assistance to pay for food, and those with a trip planned to one of the country’s 425 national park sites.

Since the National Park Service is largely funded through Congressional appropriations, all 63 national parks, plus hundreds of additional monuments and sites, “are at risk of closing Oct. 1” if the government doesn’t reach a deal to keep the government funded, writes the National Parks Conservation Association, a group that advocates for protecting the parks.

As The Hill has previously reported, it’s somewhat unclear what would happen to national parks under an upcoming federal shutdown. The Department of the Interior hasn’t announced its plan, either. 

To read more, go here.