Feds will let states pay to reopen national parks

[pinboy3niner]

MATTHEW DALY 1 hour ago


(AP Photo/Brian Skoloff, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from governors, the Obama administration said Thursday it will allow some shuttered national parks to reopen — as long as states use their own money to pay for park operations.

Governors in at least four states have asked for authority to reopen national parks within their borders because of the economic impacts caused by the park closures. All 401 national park units — including such icons as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite and Zion national parks — have been closed since Oct. 1 because of the partial government shutdown. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees have been furloughed, and lawmakers from both parties have complained that park closures have wreaked havoc on nearby communities that depend on tourism.

Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said the government will consider offers to use state money to resume park operations, but will not surrender control of national parks or monuments to the states. Jewell called on Congress to act swiftly to end the government shutdown so all parks can reopen.

Utah's Republican governor, Gary Herbert, said late Thursday he had wired money from state taxpayers that will open Utah's national five national parks. He said he was inking a deal with Jewell that provides $166,000 a day in funding for the five red rock parks and other units of the national park system, starting Saturday. He said that will keep them open for 10 days, and the state can buy extra days as needed.

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Associated Press writers Paul Foy in Utah, Mead Gruver in Wyoming, Chet Brokaw in South Dakota and Felicia Fonseca in Arizona contributed to this report.


http://news.yahoo.com/feds-let-states-pay-reopen-national-parks-200956170--finance.html

[Cha]

1. That's something.. thanks pinboy

[B Calm]

2. I can see the graffiti now sprayed all across the granite walls of Yosemite

[question everything]

3. On the one hand, perhaps their maintenance can be transferred to the states

On the other hand - nothing will prevent them from bulldozing native forests so developers can put more... developments.