National parks, public lands feared at risk of long-term harm as shutdown drags on
Bare-bones staffing during the government shutdown across the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service is leaving America’s treasured natural assets vulnerable to lasting damage, according to advocates for public lands, including current and former agency employees.
National parks and most public lands remain accessible to visitors, including those run by the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management and Fish and Wildlife Service.
But the lack of staff already has led to reports of bad behavior, like illegal camping and BASE jumping at California’s Yosemite National Park, and parks advocates and workers told States Newsroom they fear more to come as the shutdown that began Oct. 1 continues with no end in sight.
Adjustments to park staff meant to “front-load visitor services” hide some of the long-term harms, said John Garder, the senior director of budget and appropriations at the advocacy group National Parks Conservation Association.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/16/repub/national-parks-public-lands-feared-at-risk-of-long-term-harm-as-shutdown-drags-on/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Long game to sell off the parks to private entities. Trash the parks and then claim the government can't manage them.
They are trying to separate us from our governing powers as We the People.
