UKC

A heads-up that this can affect entry in to National Parks.... at least its not peak climbing time for UK visitors.

It's hard to believe a party with both houses and the President could have got themselves in such a mess, but of course its the opoositions fault!

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jan/20/with-government-shutdown-re...

I still don't understand why you would shut national parks, just leave them to be free for all if there is no staff?!

Because the NPS has to control visitor numbers and their activities in order to preserve the parks/limit visitor impact. Open parks and no rangers=10,000 gun-toting nutters killing all the animals.

Really, we seem to manage okay in the UK without park rangers!

We're not American.

Clearly you have no idea about the federal system and the national parks in the USA.

Try imagining what would happen if you removed the gun laws in the UK, started selling them in Tesco´s to anyone with a driving license, disbanded the police force and put a herd of 20,000 bison in the Peak National Park.

Maybe im naive but just because they close them down, What's to stop me from walking around the main gates and going climbing anyway. Whos there to stop me?

Mostly nothing except it´s usually a very long walk! However in contrast to the Obama government shutdown when he ordered them to close and the roads/entrances were barricaded it actually appears that most parks will stay open with only essential services provided, i.e for Yosemite there won´t be anyone collecting money when you drive in and no ranger guided walks but the medical centre and rescue guys will be on duty. The actuall shutdown is for"non-essential services".

That sounds much more sensible.

I just find it hard to believe that both parties manage to walk into this mess time after time.

If entire nation had any sense then they would surely have a contingency fund ti prevent this situation?

Last time this happened there was a national guard helicopter flying over Redrocks to ensure no one was trespassing in the park... I thought then it must have been cheaper to pay for the few park rangers than a helicopter & crew... obviously a different budget.