The National Parks Are Open Again…For Now
Joshua Tree National Park was especially hard hit during the shutdown. NPS photo.
The federal government set a new record when it sustained a partial shutdown for 35 days, the longest in US history. The government reopened on Monday, promising three weeks of funding for all federal agencies. While dozens of agencies that support daily life for Americans were aggressively impacted by the shutdown, including the IRS and USDA to name a few, one was especially hard hit with consequences that will last generations: The National Parks Service (NPS).
While several National Parks were able to operate on skeleton budgets, often with money donated from private organizations and individual volunteers cleaning bathrooms and campsites, it was clear that a constant flow of federal government support is imperative for protecting and operating these lands. For a few weeks, we watched as places like Joshua Tree, Yosemite, and Rocky Mountain National Park were trashed by a heavy flow of visitors, perhaps enticed by free entry and little to no oversight. Eight rangers were on hand to oversee operations at Joshua Tree during the shutdown.
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When NPS workers returned to their jobs on Monday in Joshua Tree, they arrived to scenes of devastation, including graffiti on rocks, damaged trails, and destroyed trees. Visitors camped illegally, started campfires in hazardous zones, left behind trash and human waste, and created new roads by driving off paved NPS roads. According to a report from the Guardian, former park superintendent Curt Sauer says, “What’s happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years.”
Joshua Trees grow at a rate of one-half to three inches a year, and many trees in the Park are hundreds of years old.
Locals and environmental activists criticized the fact that the parks were left open without staffing during the shutdown, leaving the possibility for irresponsible public use that could leave lasting damage. In a nutshell, protected lands like National Parks are protected for a reason. During previous government shutdowns, Parks were closed to the public, and locals are hoping that approach will be taken during the inevitable next shutdown.
