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4h ago

Former Park Chiefs Urge Closing National Parks if Shutdown Hits

They cite past shutdown damage, severe staff cuts, plus an unresolved directive to keep sites open.

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Visitors gather near the Valley Store in Yosemite National Park in May 2025. More than three dozen former park superintendents are urging President Trump to close Yosemite and all 433 national park sites if the government shuts down next week.
A Yosemite National Park sign is seen in El Portal. More than three dozen former park superintendents are urging President Trump to close Yosemite and all 433 national park sites if the government shuts down next week.

Overview

  • Forty former national park superintendents asked Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to close parks to visitors if Congress fails to fund the government by Oct. 1.
  • The letter argues current conditions are riskier than in prior shutdowns, pointing to roughly a 24% reduction in National Park Service staffing and deep budget cuts.
  • Former leaders cite documented harm when parks stayed open with minimal staff in 2018–19, including cut Joshua trees, off-road damage in Death Valley, and trash and waste piling up at Yosemite.
  • Interior and the Park Service have not released a reconciled shutdown plan, even as an April order from Burgum directs parks to remain open despite NPS contingency guidance that typically curtails operations to essential safety functions.
  • Advocates warn closures could affect up to 433 sites and block nearly a million daily visits with significant local revenue losses, while states weigh limited stopgaps, including Utah’s dedicated fund, Colorado’s potential targeted support, and Arizona signaling it cannot cover costs.