If you tried to visit the NPS website today, you were greeted with this:
 |
| Splash-screen on the newly shut down NPS.gov |
Yes, that’s right. The US Government shutdown has not only
resulted in the closure of ALL 400+ national park sites, but even the NPS website has been completely shut down. Simply
put: there is no one around to maintain it, which effectively cuts off access to
over 750,000 web pages about the national parks and its programs. This is very
frustrating as many people (to the tune of 91 million unique visitors each
year) use it for educational purposes and travel planning. I found out about it
myself because I wanted to do some research—very irritating!
After
a few moments on the above screen, you will be redirected to the US Department
of Interior (DOI) website which contains more information about the shutdown and
the Department’s contingency plans.
So
what’s going on?
Well,
the short answer is that due to the lapse of funds appropriate by US Congress
for the operation of the National Park System, the National Park Service (NPS),
which manages over 84 million acres across 50 states and territories and 400+
park units, will be shut down. According to the DOI, effective 12:01 a.m. on October
1, 2013:
- All National Parks will be closed to public visitation and use and will be secured.
- Visitor Centers and other facilities will be closed.
- Education programs and special events will be cancelled .
- Permits for special events will be rescinded.
- Guests staying hotels and campgrounds will be notified of the closure and given 48 hours to make alternate arrangements and leave the park.
- A limited number of personnel will remain to protect park resources (this includes NPS law enforcement, emergency services and firefighting, all of whom are exempt from the furlough).
- While the national parks are closed, roads that serve as thruways will remain open.
How
many people does that affect?
According
to the DOI, there are 24,645 NPS employees (as of 9/10/13). Of those, 21,379
will be furloughed. Additionally, there are 25,000 concession employees are now
out of work.
Aside
from the staffing, the closings obviously affect the thousands of people who
visit our national parks. To put it in perspective, nearly 287 million people
visited national parks last year; in October that figure was 715,000 people per day. And, according to a press
release distributed by the NPS, an October shutdown will cost the NPS an
estimated $450,000 in revenue per day
from fees collected at entry stations and in-park activities.
This
closure resulting from the lapse of appropriations by Congress will remain in
effect until appropriations are provided. In other words, the national parks
will be re-opened as soon as funding is restored. One can only hope that all of these issues will be resolved quickly so that everyone can go back to enjoying their national parks.
Updates regarding the
shutdown can be found at www.doi.gov/shutdown.
Sources: nps.gov, doi.gov