Some national parks dip into cash reserves to stay open during government shutdown
Some national parks and other sites overseen by the National Park Service are staying open despite the government shutdown.
They are managing to operate by using funds from recently collected entrance fees prior to the shutdown, and from donations.
The Department of the Interior recently said some parks would likely stay open, and tour operators that organize tours in NPS run parks said so far there have been few disruptions.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, the most visited in the country, has just restarted full park services again after receiving funding by local authority, Sevier County.
It generates more than $3 billion in local spending
Additionally, the visitor centers at Utah’s five national parks including Zion and Bryce Canyon, will remain open thanks to emergency funding from the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. Utah.
Colorado said its national parks will stay open while it still has cash from previously collected entrance fees.
However, some services and park buildings will be closed.
Other parks open include Acadia in Maine and the Grand Canyon, which won’t collect entrance fees due to staffing.
The Trump administration has said it is enabling the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island to remain open with discretionary funding after New York said it would not contribute state tax revenues.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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