Our national parks have been hit hard by federal cost cutters indiscriminately eliminating rangers, custodians, wildlife firefighters and other staff, and the government shutdown sent over 9,000 Park Service staff home without pay, with orders to leave the gates unlocked and most parks open.
Alex Johnson, the new Southwest Regional Director at the National Parks Conservation Association, warns that by starving the Park Service of money for staff, maintenance, wildlife management and research, “the administration is setting up our national parks for failure.”