"Critics say the unprecedented move, which comes as trash and other problems mount, could be illegal."
"The National Park Service will take the unprecedented step of tapping entrance fees to pay for expanded operations at its most popular sites, officials said Sunday, as the federal government shutdown threatens to degrade some of the nation’s iconic landmarks.
Under a memorandum signed Saturday by the Interior Department’s acting secretary, David Bernhardt, and obtained by The Washington Post, park managers will be permitted to bring on additional staff to clean restrooms, haul trash, patrol the parks and open areas that have been shut during the more-than-two-week budget impasse. In a statement Sunday, National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith acknowledged that the administration’s practice of keeping parks open but understaffed has become unsustainable at some of its most beloved sites.
“As the lapse in appropriations continues, it has become clear that highly visited parks with limited staff have urgent needs that cannot be addressed solely through the generosity of our partners,” Smith said. “We are taking this extraordinary step to ensure that parks are protected, and that visitors can continue to access parks with limited basic services.”"
Juliet Eilperin reports for the Washington Post January 6, 2019.
SEE ALSO:
"National Park Service Plans To Expand Operations Amid Government Shutdown Degradation" (NPR)
"Park Service To Tap Into Entrance Fees To Keep Operating" (AP)
"'An Eerie Silence' Where Federal Land Agency Workers Are Furloughed" (NPR)
"Three Dead In National Park System Accidents As Shutdown Wears On" (Washington Post)
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