Utah to pay federal government to reopen national parks

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Utah to pay federal government to reopen national parks

Fri Oct 11, 2013 9:03am EDT

(Reuters) - Utah will reopen its national parks and monuments under a deal with the U.S. Department of the Interior, which closed the sites and other parks across the country as part of the partial federal government shutdown that began on October 1.

The western state will pay up to $1.67 million to the federal government to allow visitors to return to its five national parks, the Cedar Breaks and Natural Bridges national monuments, and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah Governor Gary Herbert said late Thursday.

The governor said the parks should be fully open by Saturday. The money would keep the parks open for up to 10 days, and the state could make additional payments to have them open longer.

Utah was among several states that appealed to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell with offers to fund staff in exchange for reopening some of the country's 401 national parks, and the department said on Thursday it was considering the requests.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/11/us-usa-fiscal-parks-idUSBRE99A0EW20131011

[alcibiades_mystery]

1. I don't like it

These are federal parks. You want them open, open the damn federal government.

[leftyohiolib]

2. what's the diff btwn this and the repubs trying to opn the ww2 museum

[Omnith]

3. If I were the governor of Utah I would ignore the fed and open the parks on my own.

[ChazII]

4. Several members of my family

live in Kanab, UT. This town depends on tourists that visit these canyons for income to get them through the year. They are glad to see the canyon open. They are registered Independents.