After 43 days, the longest government shutdown in American history has ended, allowing National Park Service staff across the country to return to work. As parks welcome back their furloughed staff, some are voicing concern about the challenges that await staff members as they begin the process of assessing any damage that may have occurred during their absence.
“For 43 days, many national parks were left open, vulnerable and unprotected,” said Kristen Brengel, senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association. “The National Park Service, already pushed to its breaking point after losing 25% of permanent staff, is left to pick up the pieces. Furloughed park staff now face the daunting task of returning to parks to assess and address the damage, a process that could take months.
Many also continue to worry about the potential long-term effects of the shutdown, as park entrances were shuttered for more than a month, unable to collect entrance fees. Brengel pointed out that this loss of income could mean significant delays to construction projects and other essential visitor services, adding more challenges to an already strained Park System that continues to face the threat of more layoffs.
“Even before the shutdown, national parks were already feeling the strain, forced to cancel ranger programs, close visitor centers, and halt essential maintenance and research,” said Brengel. “Secretary Burgum’s plans for mass staff terminations would only deepen the crisis, threatening the ability of parks to operate safely and effectively. These plans aren’t just reckless, they’re deeply unpopular.”
A recent poll from NPCA showed that a majority of Americans oppose cuts to the Park Service, with 69 percent saying they oppose President Trump’s proposed $1 billion cut to the NPS budget. Sixty-two percent of Americans oppose the administration’s plan to cut more National Park Service staff.
With the funding bill only in effect until January, the threat of yet another shutdown looms large.
“[T]his funding bill offers our national parks and park staff only a short-term reprieve,” noted Brengel. “In just a few weeks, park staff and visitors could face another shutdown, which might affect the hiring of seasonal rangers for next spring and summer. Congress must heed the will of the American people and come together to fund parks so they can remain open, staffed and protected.”
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