![]() If Congress fails to fully fund the parks, both the National Park Service and the Interior Department are prepared to engage in those discussions with states like Utah." "I fully expect some creativity from the states when it comes to trying to step into the breach created by Congress. "States may want to enter into their own arrangements with philanthropy in order to fund those donations, which are inherently not reimbursable," said a senior Interior Department official. According to the Interior Department, those funds are seen as donations and are not refundable. "We've communicated to Interior Secretary Haaland our plan to keep Utah's national parks open if she is willing to work with us, and our expectation that any state dollars spent will be restored to the people of Utah," he said. This time around, he's hoping for a different outcome. Utah has stepped in to fund park operations during past government shutdowns.Īccording to the governor, it cost around $1 million to keep the parks open for 35 days during the 2013 shutdown, and the state also provided funding to keep parks open during a shutdown in 2018.īut Cox says the federal government never reimbursed the state. "It's so important to these shoulder communities that rely on the parks as their lifeblood, and so we are going to step up and do that again." "We are all in agreement that it's worth keeping the parks open," Utah Governor Spencer Cox said at a news conference. ![]() In Utah, state leaders have committed to funding the operation of the state's five popular national parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches, if Congress fails to pass a spending bill by the end of Saturday.Īrizona and Colorado state leaders have said they also intend to bankroll some of their most popular national parks, including Grand Canyon National Park. But some state governments are prepared to step up and pay to keep their most popular sites open in the event of a shutdown. With the possibility of a federal government shutdown on the horizon, the Interior Department is poised to close the gates to the National Parks System, which includes the national parks, monuments, and historic sites across the country.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |