What a Federal Government Shutdown Means for National Parks

Because Congress has failed its job in funding the government, the United States is now in a government shutdown. This situation affects national parks and could put family vacations, school trips, resource protection and local economies in jeopardy.

Despite NPCA’s urging that the National Park Service close parks for their protection in the event of a shutdown, the administration stated Tuesday evening that many parks will be at least partially open with few staff and services. Former superintendents had also urged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to close the parks.

The shutdown comes as there are growing reports of massive staff terminations that would decimate the National Park Service. Since January, the National Park Service has lost more than 25% of its permanent staff. Across the country, parks are cutting ranger programs, closing visitor centers, and falling behind on critical maintenance and research because there just aren’t enough people left to do the job.

For months, NPCA has heard reports of another round of mass staff terminations, potentially even during the shutdown. Regardless of the size, any further staffing cuts to the Park Service would be devastating for parks and their supporting offices. Every single employee is critical to keeping parks safe and accessible, and losing them would directly impact the experiences of millions of visitors and put the protection of our natural and cultural resources at risk.

Here are frequently asked questions.

What does a government shutdown over federal spending have to do with national parks?

All 400-plus national park sites are federally owned, and every year, the U.S. Congress must develop and approve a federal budget for all government agencies and programs, including the National Park Service. That is its responsibility to the American people.

If Congress ever fails in its duty to pass a new funding bill, national park units are at risk of closing. That’s because these spaces largely operate on appropriated funds approved by Congress. A shutdown affects sites in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico, Guam and American Samoa.

Based on Park Service data, national parks could lose more than $1 million in fee revenue every day they are closed. Based on the Park Service’s shutdown plan, almost 9,300 people (nearly two-thirds of Park Service staff) are now being put in the scary position of not knowing when their next paycheck will arrive. Additionally, park concessioners and partners now face the prospect of lost revenue and further economic hardship — local economies could lose as much as $80 million in visitor spending every day parks are closed in October.

How will this affect my visit to a national park?

Under the Trump administration’s contingency plan for the National Park Service, thousands of park staff are now furloughed without pay, while many of the 433 national parks remain at least partially open and with few staff to protect them. Even amid the shutdown, reports indicate the administration is pressing ahead with massive staff cuts that would obliterate the Park Service’s ability to protect parks long term.

Under the contingency plan, parks’ entrance gates may be open and areas that visitors can drive/walk may be accessible, while doors will be locked at most facilities including visitor centers.

This is the similar approach taken by the Trump administration during last shutdown, which lasted 35 days in December 2018-January 2019.

That decision resulted in damage across the National Park System. There were reports of illegal off-roading, vandalism, overflowing trash, damaged cultural sites, stolen artifacts from battlefields, and destruction of Joshua trees. At Death Valley National Park, campgrounds were kept open but restrooms were closed, leading to sanitation issues. At Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, the human waste and trash issues became so problematic that the parks were eventually forced to close.

People across the country and from around the world have been making travel plans for months expecting our parks to be open. Instead, they face the real possibility of disruption and disappointment when they arrive at parks.

How long would a government shutdown last?

It is the job of Congress to fund the federal government, and the length of a shutdown depends on representatives’ ability to come to a budget agreement to fund federal agencies.

The most recent government shutdown was also the longest: 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019. This followed a three-day shutdown in January 2018. An October 2013 shutdown lasted 16 days. A shutdown in November 1995 lasted five days, with another shutdown a month later lasting 21 days.

Is there any way to know the current status of a national park unit?

The Interior Department furloughed most public information officers. We are concerned the public will have limited access to information about parks at this time.

If parks close, what happens to park rangers and other employees?

Under the Trump administration’s current contingency plan for the National Park Service, an estimated 9,296 park staff are furloughed without pay. They also face possible termination under massive staff cuts the administration has been saying for months that it plans to implement imminently according to recent news reports.

During the 2013 shutdown, more than 21,300 Park Service staff were furloughed (86%). Only a skeleton crew of the most essential staff for protecting life and property remained, including law enforcement, disaster assistance and some emergency medical care.

Similarly, in 2018-19, the majority of Park Service employees were furloughed. Only “exempted staff” continued reporting to work for those 35 days — just 3,298 employees tasked with managing 80 million acres of national park lands.

How much revenue could the Park Service lose?

Based on last year’s visitation and fee revenue numbers, parks could lose as much as a $1 million daily from entrance and other fees. Last October, parks had nearly 1 million visitors per day and contributed $80 million in visitor spending toward local economies per day.

In 2018-19, NPCA estimated the Park Service lost $400,000 per day from missed entrance fee revenue. On an average day in January 2019, about 425,000 park visitors would typically spend $20 million a day in nearby communities; all of this was undermined by the shutdown. Additional impacts to the Park Service would include the cost of lost labor, the challenge of maintaining resources in the absence of sufficient staff, extra cleanup duties and resource assessments after the shutdown, not to mention the toll on park staff morale.

During the 2013 shutdown, all national park sites were closed, education programs and special events canceled, permits issued for special events repealed, park hotels, visitor centers and campgrounds vacated, and entrances locked. The Park Service found that the 16-day shutdown resulted in an estimated 8 million lost recreational visits and $414 million in lost visitor spending.

Because national parks have been chronically underfunded and understaffed, including losing more than 25% of staff since January, a government shutdown makes a bad situation even worse. Parks are more popular than ever before, yet many lawmakers continue to shortchange the parks’ already strained budgets and resources.

How badly are parks already underfunded and understaffed?

This budget impasse is part of a broader funding and staffing crisis facing parks that has gradually gotten worse over the decade but has been considerably exacerbated since the Trump administration took office. For months, the Trump administration has ordered national parks to stay open and accessible while slashing National Park Service staffing, delaying seasonal hiring and pushing remaining staff to their limits. Since January, the Park Service has lost a staggering 25% of its permanent staff. Staffing shortages have directly impacted park operations across the system, with parks dangerously short on rangers, maintenance crews, emergency responders, scientists and others essential to visitor services and the protection of irreplaceable historic and natural resources.

Before the new administration took office, park staffing to operate national parks had eroded by 20% since 2010 at the same time that parks experienced a 16% increase in visitation. Our parks also suffer from more than $23 billion in repair needs due to years of underfunding. A shutdown would worsen this situation, as limited park staff are unable to perform the daily maintenance that can prevent the backlog of maintenance needs from growing.

If mass firings do occur, what will this mean for the future of national parks?

Every single Park Service employee is essential to the health and safety of our parks and all who visit them.

Together, the front-line and behind-the-scenes staff create experiences that inspire, educate and protect our natural and cultural heritage. Visitors may not see their faces or know their names, but their work touches every visitor, every day. From wildlife biologists and climate scientists to air, water and soundscape experts, regional park staff protect the very resources people go to parks to experience. These specialists help ensure parks are safe, healthy and prepared for the next generation of visitors.

During the summer peak season, everything might have looked fine. But behind the scenes, the National Park Service has been gutted and the remaining staff are overwhelmed. Scientists are being pulled from their duties to clean toilets and perform other visitor management services. Critical air, water and wildlife research, monitoring and management has been halted completely in many parks.

Would a shutdown affect local businesses?

Yes. Local businesses and park concessioners serve millions of park visitors every day and face the prospect of lost revenue and further economic hardship when a shutdown occurs. Each day national parks are closed in October, nearly a million visitors could be turned away.

National parks are economic engines, generating more than $55.6 billion in economic activity and supporting more than 415,400 private-sector jobs annually, according to the Park Service’s latest data. America’s outdoor recreation economy supports 5 million American jobs and contributes $1.2 trillion in annual economic output, which constitutes 2.3% of the gross domestic product.

Local governments would feel an impact, too, because of the lost tax revenue associated with this economic activity. Additionally, many parks’ bookstores and visitor centers are run by nonprofits, which use those revenues to support the parks. Local communities also lose the spending of park employees who are tightening their belts because they are not being paid.

With park visitation up in recent years, wouldn’t it be helpful for natural spaces to have a break from people?

No. Staff biologists, ecologists and other resource professionals work to rid our parks of invasive species and to protect the threatened and endangered species that call our national parks home. Other staff members monitor grounds to prevent vandalism, poaching, illegal dumping and other detrimental activities that can harm both natural and historic resources.

While a shutdown might allow some staff to remain, much of the daily work to keep a park protected would be severely hampered.

What can national park supporters do to help?

NPCA is calling on Congress to act immediately and pass a continuing resolution followed by the Senate Interior Appropriations bill that will allow our national parks to be fully open and protected. Congress must also prevent any further mass staffing cuts of Park Service employees before it’s too late.

We urge park supporters to contact their members of Congress and urge them to pass a funding bill to keep the government open — and, then tell them they need to pass the Senate’s bipartisan spending bill that avoids funding cuts to national parks.

What should park visitors consider and prepare for during a shutdown?

Right now, it’s a muddled picture across the park system. Some parks are open, some are closed, and some are partially open but with many limited services, closed buildings or trails, and just not enough staff to adequately protect park resources. However, if you do visit parks, keep in mind:

Uncertainty: Some parks are open, some are closed, and some are partially open but with many limited services, closed buildings or trails, and just not enough staff to adequately protect park resources.

Be extra cautious and have a plan and a backup plan:

• Parks aren’t updating their websites, communication may be spotty, and some trails may be closed. In some places, natural hazards or weather events or even conditions like the start of hunting season are making conditions especially risky.

• Bathroom facilities may be closed or have unmet maintenance needs, so bring a personal hygiene kit with toilet paper, hand sanitizer and a double-bag system for packing out your waste. Known as a W.A.G. bag, this system contains chemical crystals that gel and deodorize waste. The bag can be sealed and then disposed of in a trash can or carried out in your backpack. Plan for you and your two- or four-legged friends.

• Bring extra water to avoid dehydration and extra layers and gear, as weather conditions could change quickly.

Stay Safe: Search and rescue (SAR) operations always require a great deal of park staff time, risk and emotional energy. With 2/3 of NPS staff furloughed, every SAR will stretch park staff capacity very thin. Take care to prevent the kind of incidents that would require a SAR response. Stay on trails and boardwalks, keep a safe distance from wildlife, stay hydrated, and follow park rules and safety signs, barriers and railings.

Respect the Land: Remember that ancestral landscapes are sacred, and Tribal Nations continue to be in relationship with these spaces for their religious and cultural practices.

• Leave fossils, bones and cultural objects undisturbed; avoid touching rock imagery; and keep children and pets out of cultural sites.
• Stay clear of ancestral structures — do not climb or lean on them.

This is an updated version of a previously published story.