states fill the void to run national parks during shutdown

7/27/2019 States Fill the Void to Run National Parks During Shutdown

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States Fill the Void to Run

National Parks During Shutdown

CAPITOL RESEARCH

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

THE COUN CIL OF STATE GOVER NMEN TS

Media coverage o the 16-day closure o the ederal gov-ernment in October 2013 included pictures o urloughedworkers and shuttered landmarks in Washington, D.C. But

the closure also meant the countrys 59 national parks and401 sites managed by the National Park Service and its20,000 employees would no longer be open to the public.1

Nationwide, the national park system plays a substantialrole in the economic vitality o states and the communitiesthat depend on the tourism dollars those visitors bring.A February 2013 study by the National Park Serviceestimated that visitors spent nearly $13 billion in the localgateway regions o the entire park systemareas within60 miles o the parkon accommodations, meals andrecreational activities in 2011.2

As the stalemate in Congress dragged on, several gov-ernors stepped up to help keep the parks open because othe critical revenue they bring in. The Grand Canyon, or

example, has roughly 18,000 visitors a day during early all,which pumps almost $1 million a day into local economies.Active agreements with the Park Service let states directmillions rom their general revenues to keep these publiclands open or business. Legislative attempts are underwaynow in both the House and Senate to reimburse states orthose costs.

Vital Sources of Revenue The nations frst national park, Yellowstone,

established in 1872, bears the motto For the Ben-eft and Enjoyment o the People on its welcomearchway. Today, the countrys national parks are a

huge draw, with some 279 million visitors in 2011. The timing o the ederal governments shutdownhad a substantial impact on states that rely heav-ily on visitors to national parks and monuments.The state o Utah brings in an estimated $100million in the month o October alone rom visitsto the parks within its borders.3

The town o Springdale, Utah, and its 527residents near Zion National Park lost an esti-mated 40 to 60 percent o their expected tourismrevenue during the shutdown. Five counties inthe state declared a state o emergency, galvaniz-ing some county commissioners to threaten theremoval o all barricades rom the parks.4

Governors and local ofcials across the countryoered to sta and reopen national parks withstate employees and volunteers. The Park Servicereused on the grounds that it did not want toopen sites on a piecemeal basis. Ater intensediscussions, Secretary o the Interior Sally Jewellagreed to let fve statesArizona, Colorado, NewYork, South Dakota and Utahopen high-profleparks and monuments or a limited amount otime by reimbursing the costs o running the sitesusing only ederal workers.5

The sites that were reopened, and the costs toopen them, included the Grand Canyon at a costo $651,000 or seven days; Rocky MountainsNational Park, $362,000 or 10 days; the Statue oLiberty, $369,000 or six days; Mount Rushmore,$152,000 or 10 days; and Zion, Bryce Canyon,Arches National Park, Capitol Ree and Canyon-lands National Park in Utah, $1.67 million over10 days. A day beore the ederal governmentshutdown was resolved on Oct. 16, 2013, the stateo Tennessee also reached an agreement with thePark Service to temporarily reopen the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park or fve days at acost o $300,500.6


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Pushback and Reimbursement Several governors expressed opposition to using

state unds to reopen ederal parks despite theseparate agreements reached by a handul ostates. A spokesman or the Caliornia Depart-ment o Finance expressed trepidation in anOctober 2013 Los Angeles Times article aboutusing state unds because o the states delicatebalanced budget agreements and no guaranteeo reimbursement rom the ederal government.While our budget is balanced, it is balanced by anarrow margin, he said. There are a number orisks or pressures that could move things in thewrong direction.7

The continuing resolution keeping the govern-ment open through Jan. 15, 2014 did not include

reimbursement unds, confrming the ears osome states. Ofcials rom the Department oInterior have inormed states that it is unable toreund them unless Congress expressly directs itto do so.8

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander o Tennessee and U.S.Rep. Steve Daines o Montana introduced legisla-tion (S.1572/HR 3286) that has attracted biparti-san cosponsors. Upon passage, it would reimbursestates within 90 days or an activity during theederal government shutdown that was neces-sary to operate and open a national park to thepublic.9 Although the prognosis or consideration othe legislation is unknown, Alexanders positionas the ranking member o the Energy and WaterAppropriations Committee could elevate the parksreimbursement issue when Congress revisits thenext budget deadline in mid-January 2014.

Brydon Ross, CSG Director o Energy & Environmental [email protected]

12012 National Park Overview.U.S. National Park Service.

http://www.nps.gov/news/upload/NPS-Overview-2012_updated-04-02-2013.pdf 2Economic Benefts to Local Communities rom National Park Visitation, 2011, U.S. National Park

Service, p. V.http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/docs/NPSSystemEstimates2011.pdf3Utah Pays $1.6 Million to Reopen its National Parks.Katherine Beard, U.S. News and World Reports.

October 11, 2013. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-

iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-

c5d7de0a046b_story.html4Interior Allows a Dozen Iconic National Parks to Reopen with State Funding.Juliet Eilperin and Lenny

Bernstein. Washington Post. October 11, 2013. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-

allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-

3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.html5Some States Reopen Natl Parks; Others Eye Options.Michelle Price, AP/Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

October 11, 2013. http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/227337681.html6National Park Service Announces Agreement to Reopen Smokies.U.S. National Park Service Press

Release, October 15, 2013. http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parknews/opening-agreement.htm7Brown Has No Plans to Use State Money to Reopen National Parks.Melanie Mason, Los Angeles

Times. October 10, 2013.http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-

parks-20131010,0,1770718.s tory8Congress Must OK Return o Money Colorado Used to Reopen National Park.Allison Sherry, Denver

Post. October 17, 2013. http://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-

money-colorado-used-reopen 9Protecting States, Opening National Parks ActS.1572/HR 3286.

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-113s1572is/pdf/BILLS-113s1572is.pdf

RESOURCES
mailto:bross%40csg.org?subject=http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-parks-20131010,0,1770718.storyhttp://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-parks-20131010,0,1770718.storyhttp://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-parks-20131010,0,1770718.storyhttp://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-money-colorado-used-reopenhttp://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-money-colorado-used-reopenhttp://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-money-colorado-used-reopenhttp://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-money-colorado-used-reopenhttp://www.denverpost.com/crime/ci_24332649/congress-must-ok-return-money-colorado-used-reopenhttp://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-parks-20131010,0,1770718.storyhttp://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-brown-national-parks-20131010,0,1770718.storyhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interior-allows-almost-a-dozen-iconic-national-parks-to-reopen-with-state-funding/2013/10/11/b010aa82-3296-11e3-8627-c5d7de0a046b_story.htmlmailto:bross%40csg.org?subject=


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Non-local Visitor Spend-

ing ($ Millions)

Jobs from Non-local

Visitor Spending

Labor Income from Non- local

Visitor Spending

($ Millions)

Value-added from Non- local Visitor

Spending

($ Millions)

Alaska 237 4,138 116 200

Alabama 19 315 8 13

Arizona 737 12,499 381 671

Arkansas 140 2,364 53 92

California 1,192 17,978 690 1,224

Colorado 319 4,621 148 266

Connecticut 1 19 1 1

Florida 608 9,818 320 561

Georgia 241 3,592 108 189

Hawaii 259 3,113 104 187

Idaho 24 379 8 15

Illinois 16 253 9 16

Indiana 54 826 20 35

Iowa 12 195 5 8

Kansas 4 67 2 3

Kentucky 85 1,400 36 62

Louisiana 28 429 12 21Maine 183 2,555 97 169

Maryland 145 2,025 65 115

Massachusetts 432 6,917 179 307

Michigan 159 2,875 82 148

Minnesota 37 665 19 33

Mississippi 101 1,471 35 61

Missouri 158 2,468 67 116

Montana 279 4,492 107 190

Nebraska 13 227 5 9

Nevada 162 2,045 67 116

New Hampshire 1 20 1 1

New Jersey 117 1,807 63 113

New Mexico 98 1,479 36 63

New York 341 3,998 159 274

North Carolina 725 11,915 323 560

North Dakota 28 478 11 18

Ohio 52 862 22 39

Oklahoma 14 177 5 9

Oregon 54 915 26 45

Pennsylvania 325 5,358 161 280

Rhode Island 3 45 1 2

South Carolina 48 704 18 31

South Dakota 160 2,576 54 93

Tennessee 530 8,847 261 452

Texas 177 2,798 91 164

Utah 693 11,240 336 565

Vermont 1 22 1 1

Virginia 541 8,116 237 417

Washington 261 3,827 121 215West Virginia 60 869 21 36

Wisconsin 24 455 12 19

Wyoming 621 9,098 222 397

American Samoa 1 12 0.35 1

Guam 17 268 8 14

Puerto Rico 61 980 29 50

Virgin Islands 65 1,236 37 63

District of Columbia 1,025 8,852 404 684

State Economic Impact of National Park Visitor Spending, 2011

Source: Economic Benefts to Local Communities rom National Park Visitation, 2011, Table A-2. State-Level Impacts o NPS Visitor Spending on State Economies by State, 2011. U.S. National Park Service

http://www.nature.nps.gov/socialscience/docs/NPSSystemEstimates2011.pdf

states fill the void to run national parks during shutdown

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