Former Park Leaders Urge Closures If Shutdown

More than 40 former national park superintendents, regional directors and a former NPS director wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum urging that national parks be closed to visitors if Congress fails to pass funding, calling it “reckless” to leave parks open with minimal or no staff. They warned past shutdowns, including 2018–19 incidents in Joshua Tree, Death Valley and Yosemite, led to vandalism, habitat destruction, overflowing trash and other damage. The letter says conditions are worse now after roughly a 24% reduction in permanent staff and severe budget cuts and criticizes Burgum’s April secretarial order directing parks to remain open despite staffing shortfalls. The appeal was organized by groups including the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, the Association of National Park Rangers and the National Parks Conservation Association. Advocates say a shutdown could affect up to 433 park sites, force closures or restrictions, turn away nearly a million visitors a day and cost gateway communities and parks tens of millions in lost revenue and fees.