Most of America’s popular national parks may have to close to visitors, the Interior Department warns. If Congress does not agree on the state budget, there will be no money for salaries for park employees.
The clock is ticking in Congress – which has not yet managed to agree on the state budget. Avoiding federal shutdowns effectively requires a deal between Senate Democrats and House Republicans before the next fiscal year begins on Sunday, Oct. 1.
Temporary solutions, however, could buy politicians more time for negotiations and prevent federal agencies from being forced to close. But it only lasts for a limited period and when the money finally runs out, the closures come – usually federally funded museums and national parks first.
Are the gates closed?
America’s national parks attract millions of visitors and are important sources of income for cities and businesses located adjacent to them. The shutdown would include iconic places like Yosemite as well as more unknown gems.
“Gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed and thousands of park rangers will be laid off,” the US Department of the Interior wrote in a statement on Friday.
However, states and local governments can keep some parks operating by paying the federal government, according to the Interior Department, which oversees more than 400 national parks with 20,000 employees. It can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per day, but it has been described by local leaders as a bargain compared to how much money tourism brings in, according to The New York Times.
Stop in toilets
The governors of Arizona and Utah have already said they plan to keep the gates open to parks such as the Grand Canyon.
In previous shutdowns due to budget chaos, including the one that lasted 35 days in 2018-2019, the gates to the parks remained open even though they were severely understaffed. The consequences were flooded toilets, overflowing trash cans and vandalism as visitors continued to pour in.
– It was not a pretty sight, states an official at the Ministry of the Interior in an interview with CNN.