Glacier and Yellowstone national parks continued welcoming visitors after the federal government shut down. Facilities like visitor centers and restrooms were closed. The U.S. Department of Interior projected roughly three-quarters of park staff nationwide will be furloughed because of the shutdown.
Michelle Uberuaga with the National Parks Conservation Association says park staff and gateway communities have been anticipating this shutdown for weeks.
“And it really couldn’t come at a worse time for our parks here in Montana,” she says.
The Association says national parks have lost roughly a quarter of their staff in federal cuts since the start of the year. And Montana’s “gateway communities” that are economically dependent on the parks are waiting to see how the reduction in services impacts tourism.
Terese Petcoff leads the chamber of commerce in Gardiner, north of Yellowstone Park. She says the last government shutdown in 2018 and 2019 lasted so long a local grocery store started offering lines of credit to help furloughed staff afford food.
“We encourage people not to cancel their trip, if that’s something they’re thinking about or contemplating,” Petcoff told MTPR in a phone interview. “We’re still here and ready to welcome you. Just keep in mind that certain services are going to be very limited.”
The parks will still respond to emergencies or wildfire starts, and will monitor border crossings in Glacier National Park.
The National Parks Conservation Association urges visitors to be extra mindful of their impact on the environment while the shutdown is in effect.
