The entrances at Yellowstone and Glacier national parks will be closed and locked if the federal government lapses into a shutdown.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior, most national park sites across the country will be closed "in the event of a lapse in annual government appropriations."
"This means that the majority of national parks will be closed completely to public access," the press release states. "Areas that, by their nature, are physically accessible to the public will face significantly reduced visitor services."
"At (National Park Service) sites across the country, gates will be locked, visitor centers will be closed, and thousands of park rangers will be furloughed," the press release continues. "Accordingly, the public will be encouraged not to visit sites during the period of lapse in appropriations out of consideration for protection of natural and cultural resources, as well as visitor safety."
The federal government will shut down on Oct. 1 if Congress does not pass legislation approving appropriations. National Parks Service officials said they expect parks would remain open through the weekend and close Monday, Oct. 2, if no deal is reached.
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The decision to close National Park Service sites is in contrast to the last federal government shutdown in 2018. Yellowstone remained open at that time, although all government-run operations and facilities were closed. The entrance stations were open but not staffed.
Officials at Glacier National Park released this statement Friday:
"We remain hopeful that a lapse in government funding will not occur. Because we are reviewing the NPS contingency plan and working to determine specifics at Glacier National Park, I don’t have additional specifics to share at this time."
The park service contingency plan is available online at www.doi.gov/shutdown (http://www.doi.gov/shutdown) and a fact sheet outlining general information about what to expect in national parks is available in the Department of the Interior’s newsroom: Government Shutdown Will Close America’s National Parks, Impede Visitor Access | U.S. Department of the Interior (doi.gov) (https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/government-shutdown-will-close-americas-national-parks-impede-visitor-access).
The Associated Press reports national parks in Arizona and Utah will remain open during a shutdown by state funding.
Montana's state government will not step in and do the same, according to Gov. Greg Gianforte's office.
"National parks are the responsibility of the federal government, and Montana taxpayers shouldn’t have to pick up the tab because Congress can’t get its job done. Until Congress gets its act together, the Department of the Interior should use every available tool at its disposal to keep the parks open to the public," a Gianforte spokesperson said in a statement.
