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National parks across the West are grappling with the impacts of a 43-day government shutdown, leaving returning rangers with the daunting task of assessing and addressing damage, which the National Park Conservation Association says could take months. The shutdown furloughed about two-thirds of National Park Service staff nationwide, worsening an existing crisis caused by the permanent loss of around a quarter of the agency's workforce since January.
The shutdown allowed damage to occur at national parks, which were forced to stay open during the shutdown by the Trump administration, including graffiti painted on formations in Arches National Park and illegal BASE jumping and climbing in Yosemite National Park. Parks also face major funding shortfalls thanks to the shutdown. Zion lost an estimated $1.7 million in entrance fee revenue during October alone. These fees help fund visitor safety, trail maintenance, and resource protection—and losing them, coupled with congressional budget cuts, jeopardizes park resources and services.
While states spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to keep major parks open, the bill Congress passed to reopen the government only guarantees funding through January, posing a challenge for long-term planning within the park system.
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When you lose that fee, and you’re also facing year over year congressional budget cuts, you move out of a situation of sustainability and solvency... You’re having to move as much as you can to visitor front services, and then you start losing things like habitat protection, resource protection.”
