The Department of Interior has issued a warning that entrances to national parks will be closed, and a significant number of park rangers will face furloughs if Congress fails to reach a budget agreement this weekend.
This announcement marks a notable shift from the approach taken five years ago during the Trump administration when certain iconic parks remained accessible, a move criticized by the Government Accountability Office as potentially illegal.
In the current situation, the Department of Interior has indicated that a majority of the over 420 national park units will be inaccessible to the public. However, the governors of Arizona and Utah have pledged to keep some of the most renowned parks open using state funding, including the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park.