{"id":2050450,"date":"2023-09-30T05:16:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T09:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gates-will-be-locked-and-thousands-of-rangers-furloughed-at-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down\/"},"modified":"2023-09-30T05:20:19","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T09:20:19","slug":"gates-will-be-locked-and-thousands-of-rangers-furloughed-at-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gates-will-be-locked-and-thousands-of-rangers-furloughed-at-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down\/","title":{"rendered":"National parks face closures and ranger furloughs if government shuts down."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgates-will-be-locked-and-thousands-of-rangers-furloughed-at-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2050450&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Entrances \u200dto National Parks Could Be Blocked \u200cWithout \u200bBudget Agreement<\/h2>\n<p>PHOENIX\u2014If Congress fails to reach a budget agreement this weekend, the Department\u2063 of Interior warned \u200dthat entrances \u2062to\u2064 national\u200c parks will be blocked and\u200d thousands of park rangers will be furloughed,\u200b creating a potential crisis for outdoor enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p>This \u2064is a significant \u2062shift from \u200bfive years ago when\u2064 the Trump administration kept some \u200cparks open during a similar situation.<\/p>\n<p>However, this\u2064 time around, the \u200dmajority of over 420 national\u200b park units will be off-limits\u200b to the public starting Monday, according to \u200cInterior \u2064officials. Despite this, the governors of Arizona and Utah have pledged \u2063to keep some of the most\u2063 iconic parks, such as the Grand \u2062Canyon and Zion, open using state funding.<\/p>\n<div class=\"shortcode\">\n<div class=\"border-comp-divider mb-4 mr-4 w-full max-w-[500px] border px-5 py-4 text-[16px] leading-[20px] text-[#262626] md:float-left\" id=\"in_article_related_stories\">\n<h2 class=\"mb-3 font-sans text-[16px] font-semibold uppercase leading-[19px] text-[#2F2F2F]\">Related Stories<\/h2>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/government-barrels-toward-shutdown-as-house-funding-stopgap-bill-fails-on-floor-5500918?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>Government Barrels Toward Shutdown as \u200bHouse \u2064Funding Stopgap Bill Fails on \u2063Floor<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/29\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/government-barrels-toward-shutdown-as-house-funding-stopgap-bill-fails-on-floor-5500918?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mb-4 flex gap-2\">\n<div class=\"grow\">\n<div class=\"mb-1 line-clamp-2\">\n            <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/what-a-shutdown-means-for-the-us-economy-financial-markets-5501112?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>What a Shutdown Means for the\u200d US Economy, Financial Markets<\/h3>\n<p>            <\/a>\n          <\/div>\n<div class=\"text-comp-caption text-[14px] leading-[18px]\">9\/29\/2023<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"shrink-0 basis-[120px]\">\n          <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/what-a-shutdown-means-for-the-us-economy-financial-markets-5501112?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/a>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Whether tourists will have access to other national parks\u200b will depend on\u2063 various factors,\u2063 including size and location. \u200dGenerally, if a \u2062site is closed or locked\u2064 outside of \u2063business hours, \u200dit will\u200c remain\u200c inaccessible, according to Interior \u200cofficials. While \u200cplaces like the National Mall will stay open, \u200bthere \u200bare no guarantees\u2062 that essential facilities like restrooms or trash services will be maintained.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200d the event of a shutdown, approximately 13,000 out \u200bof 19,000 National Park Service workers are expected to be furloughed,\u200d as outlined in the agency&#8217;s contingency plan posted online on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>The Interior Department stated, &#8220;The public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural \u200bresources, as well as visitor safety.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The department also mentioned that\u2062 the director of the\u2063 National Park Service has the authority to \u200benter into \u200bnon-reimbursable arrangements with\u200d state, \u2063tribal, or local governments, as \u200cwell as third parties, \u200cto secure donations for park operations.<\/p>\n<p>While the nonprofit \u2063National Parks Conservation Association doesn&#8217;t oppose such \u200cagreements, \u2064they caution that keeping sites\u200b open during\u2064 a shutdown without adequate staff and resources can have\u200b disastrous consequences. They point to the \u200bexample of Joshua Tree National Park during the previous shutdown, where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/san-franciscos-trash-cans-cost-20000-each\/\" title=\"San Francisco's Trash Cans Cost ,000 Each\">overflowing trash cans<\/a> and damage to the\u2064 fragile \u200cecosystem occurred.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the potential\u2062 shutdown, some politicians are advocating for the parks to \u2064remain open. Senator\u2063 John Barrasso urged Interior\u2062 Secretary Deb Haaland to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gates-will-be-locked-and-thousands-of-rangers-furloughed-at-national-parks-if-government-shuts-down\/\" title=\"National parks face closures and ranger furloughs if government shuts down.\">utilize previously collected fees<\/a> to keep the parks accessible, a strategy employed by the Trump \u200dadministration \u200din \u2062the past.<\/p>\n<p>Arizona\u200b Governor Katie Hobbs and Utah Governor \u200cSpencer\u200c Cox have taken matters into their own\u2064 hands, pledging \u200bto\u200d use state funds to \u2062ensure visitors can still enjoy \u2062the \u200bbreathtaking \u200dwonders of the Grand Canyon \u200band Zion, among \u200bother parks. They \u2063emphasize the economic benefits to their states and \u2062the local communities\u2063 that rely \u2062on tourism.<\/p>\n<p>The conservation association estimates \u200bthat national \u2064parks could lose nearly a million visitors daily during a shutdown, resulting in gateway communities losing up to $70\u2063 million.<\/p>\n<p>Arizona plans to use funds from the state lottery to keep\u2063 the \u200cGrand Canyon park\u200b open at a basic level, covering essential services\u200c such\u200c as restroom cleaning, \u200btrash removal, and snow\u2063 plowing.\u200c During \u2063the previous shutdown, permits \u200cfor backcountry hiking \u200band rafting on the Colorado River were still honored, but\u2064 no \u2063new permits were\u2062 issued. \u2062Hotels\u2064 and restaurants also remained open.<\/p>\n<p>Emergency services workers at Grand Canyon, \u200bresponsible \u200dfor visitor safety, as well as the approximately 2,500 residents within the national park, will continue working in the event of a shutdown,\u2063 according to Grand \u2062Canyon spokesperson Jo\u00eblle Baird.<\/p>\n<p>Utah\u2064 paid\u200b daily\u200d to \u200bkeep Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Arches running during the last shutdown, with the\u200c nonprofit Zion \u200bForever Project contributing \u200bfunds to maintain a skeleton crew and essential facilities at Zion National Park.<\/p>\n<p>This\u2064 year, \u200cColorado Governor Jared\u200b Polis has directed the state&#8217;s \u2063Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan to operate and protect resources at Rocky Mountain National Park\u200b and three other parks.<\/p>\n<p>In South Dakota, Mount Rushmore \u200dand Badlands National Park are expected to remain open during a shutdown, albeit\u2064 with limited staffing and access to restrooms, according to state Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen.<\/p>\n<p>However, Montana Governor\u200d Greg Gianforte has \u200dmade it clear that \u200dhis state will not \u200bpay to keep sites open, stating that national parks are the responsibility of the federal government. On the\u200c other hand, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon is awaiting more information to determine the state&#8217;s options.<\/p>\n<p>In Washington,\u200c Governor Jay\u2063 Inslee has no plans to provide additional \u2063funding\u2063 or staff to parks \u2062if a shutdown occurs.\u200b Similarly, California Governor Gavin \u200bNewsom&#8217;s administration\u2062 has \u2063stated that they will not\u200b cover the costs\u2064 of keeping parks open.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are the potential risks and consequences of keeping \u2062national parks\u2063 open during a government shutdown, \u200bparticularly \u200din terms of environmental damage and wildlife\u2064 protection?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Esulting in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-is-shaping-chinas-plans-for-taiwan\/\" title=\"Russia\u2019s Invasion of Ukraine Is Shaping China\u2019s Plans for Taiwan\">significant economic impact<\/a> on surrounding communities. In addition to lost revenue from visitor spending, local businesses that depend on tourism, such as hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, will also suffer.<\/p>\n<p>The potential closure of national parks has\u2063 sparked a debate about the importance of these natural treasures and the role they \u200dplay in our society. Supporters argue\u2062 that\u2062 national parks are not only a source\u200c of recreation and beauty but also serve as a reminder of \u2064our country&#8217;s natural heritage.\u2062 They provide opportunities for individuals and families to connect with nature,\u2063 to learn about our environment, and to \u2063appreciate the vast\u2064 biodiversity that exists within our borders. Furthermore, national parks contribute to scientific research, conservation \u2062efforts, and the promotion of environmental stewardship.<\/p>\n<p>Opponents of keeping national\u2064 parks open during\u2063 a government shutdown argue that the potential risks\u200d outweigh the benefits. \u200dWithout adequate \u200dstaffing, maintenance, and law\u200b enforcement, there is\u2062 a risk of damage to \u2063the parks themselves, as well \u200bas \u2064to the wildlife that reside within them. The lack of\u200b park\u2064 rangers and \u2064other essential\u2064 staff could lead to illegal activities,\u2062 such as poaching\u200d and vandalism,\u200b which could have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/next-week-will-either-be-the-best-or-worst-of-bidens-presidency\/\" title=\"Next Week Will Either Be The Best Or Worst Of Biden\u2019s Presidency\">long-lasting consequences<\/a> for the\u200b ecosystems and species that call these\u200c parks home.<\/p>\n<p>Both sides\u200b of the debate raise valid points, highlighting the complexities \u2062of managing national \u2063parks during a budget impasse. While the governors of \u200dArizona and Utah have pledged to keep their state&#8217;s\u2064 iconic parks open, it remains to\u200b be seen \u200chow they \u2062will manage\u200b the logistics and costs\u200d associated\u2062 with this endeavor. The nonprofit National Parks \u2063Conservation Association urges caution \u2062and emphasizes the importance of adequate resources \u200cand staff to ensure the protection\u200d and preservation of these natural wonders.<\/p>\n<p>As with any political issue, the fate of national parks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>PHOENIX\u2014National park entrances will close, and park rangers will be furloughed if Congress fails to agree on a budget this weekend, warns the Department of Interior. This marks a change from five years ago when the Trump administration kept some parks open. Over 420 national parks will be affected this time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":2050451,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2050450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2050450"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2050450\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2050451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2050450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2050450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2050450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}