Statement of Phil Francis, Chair of The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, on a Potential Government Shutdown:
“The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is strongly opposed to a government shutdown. The potential plan to keep national parks open with severely reduced staff is a bad idea, as it merely increases the likelihood of harm to visitors and our irreplaceable natural and cultural resources. Our parks and public lands will suffer as a result of a shutdown, as will visitors who will be unable to fully access all the services and facilities our national park system has to offer. A shutdown will also inflict harm on our dedicated workforce of NPS employees. Given the recent report that employee morale within the Department of Interior already ranks as one of the lowest in the federal government, a shutdown over the holiday season would truly add insult to injury.”