A group dedicated to protecting America’s national parks is calling for national parks to close during the government shutdown, warning that keeping them open without sufficient staff puts visitors and the environment at risk.
Thousands of National Park Service employees have been furloughed, leaving many sites short-handed to handle maintenance, safety and sanitation.
“Fall is one of the busiest times of year for many of our national parks. Millions of visitors flock to Great Smoky Mountains to see spectacular foliage, Rocky Mountain to see iconic wildlife and Zion to enjoy world-class hiking," said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the NPCA. "But we’ve seen what happens when parks are left open without enough staff. It’s unsafe and unsustainable."
RELATED STORY | Airports wrestle with more staffing shortages brought on by government shutdown
The Park Service employs about 15,000 people, and roughly 9,000 have been furloughed during the shutdown. Those still working are focused on essential duties such as law enforcement, border and coastal surveillance, and protecting park property.
Despite the staff shortages, the Interior Department has said some areas will remain open. Roads, lookouts, trails and open-air memorials will “generally remain accessible,” along with parks that don’t collect recreation fees.
The decision to keep sites open mirrors a move made during President Donald Trump’s first term, when national parks stayed accessible through a shutdown — leading to significant vandalism, trash buildup and habitat destruction.
The NPCA isn’t alone in sounding the alarm. A coalition of former Park Service officials sent a letter to agency leaders urging them to close parks until funding is restored.
RELATED STORY | Paychecks, flights, economy face growing strain from prolonged government shutdown
"Past shutdowns in which gates remained open with limited staff have hurt our parks: Iconic symbols cut down and vandalized, trash piled up, habitats destroyed, and visitor safety jeopardized," the letter sates. "If you don’t act now, history is not just doomed to repeat itself, the damage could in fact be much worse."
Republicans and Democrats have been unable to reach a deal to reopen the government, and the Trump administration has given no indication it will reverse course and close parks as the shutdown continues.
