The extended government shutdown has advocates for the national parks fearful for the future of what the National Park Service advertises as America’s “crown jewels,” as more layoffs are being threatened on top of the substantial staff reductions already made since the start of the Trump administration.
Concerns are mounting amid reports of damaged resources, reduced maintenance and visitor safety issues at the 63 national parks and 370 other units, including national memorials and historic sites, managed by the National Park Service.
More than 450 former NPS employees, including two past directors of the agency and more than 90 former park superintendents, last week urged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to close all the national parks until the government reopens.
