National Park Service employees are returning to work after a government shutdown that furloughed about two-thirds of the agency’s staff, even as most parks remained open to the public.
During the lapse in federal funding, Utah and Colorado, along with several nonprofit partner organizations, stepped in to keep key visitor services running.
In total, it cost Utah $336,000 to keep visitor centers open at its five busiest national parks (Arches, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef), as well as the Cedar Breaks National Monument, for nearly six weeks.
Colorado contributed $64,000 to operate two Rocky Mountain National Park visitor centers for the final 20 days of the shutdown. Nonprofit partners also helped fill gaps by assisting visitors and maintaining basic services.
Arizona, which has funded operations in past shutdowns, declined to do so this time.
State officials framed their contributions as essential to safety and local economies.
“This is a fiscally responsible decision,” said Natalie Randall, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism and Film, when the state announced the partnership two days into the shutdown. “We will continue to evaluate, as national parks visitor centers serve as an essential hub for visitor safety, sanitation and public security.”
Colorado officials echoed that message. Last year, visitors to national parks spent $29 billion in local communities nationwide.
“Keeping Rocky Mountain National Park and these visitor centers open promotes a positive visitor experience, helps protect our state’s incredible public lands and supports a critical sector of our economy,” said Eve Lieberman, executive director of the state’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade.
Local park partners welcomed the state support. Sam Wainer, executive director of the Canyonlands Natural History Association, said Utah’s decision allowed his organization’s park stores to remain open and continue raising money for education and research. It also ensured that visitors could still access crucial information.
“Visitors can get the information that they need and hopefully have a better experience – and a safer experience – by knowing how to recreate responsibly, basically, within the parks,” he said.
But Wainer noted that returning to normal operations will take time.
“It is not a seamless transition to get back to work after missing 43 days,” he said.
He added that many tourists may have been unaware of the strain on operations, as parks stayed open with limited resources and simultaneously missed out on likely millions of dollars of entrance fee collections.
“From their perspective, they see clean bathrooms, and they think that everything's okay,” he said.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
