National Park Service

A Moab resident discovered spray-painted graffiti in Arches National Park in the middle of the 44-day government shutdown. National parks have remained open during that time with little to no staff.

National parks and other popular destinations on public lands are still open with little to no staff. Advocates don’t want the public to forget that it’s the federal government’s responsibility to protect and maintain these areas.

A potential government shutdown could impact services at national parks and other public lands—and more layoffs could be coming to land management agencies.

Public lands advocates are hoping to draw attention to proposed cuts to the National Parks Service and other land management agencies by visiting gateway towns in the West. One stop was in Grand Junction, Colorado, which has its own national park.

National Park Service hydrologist Erin White likes to call Yellowstone “America’s first water park.” It’s home to the headwaters of multiple major rivers…