Wide-scale terminations of Federal government employees in the U.S. are starting to take a visible toll at many of the country’s National Parks and National Monuments.
The firings, which have moved swiftly, have caused staff shortages at many facilities, some of which had already been noted as understaffed. With the spring and summer seasons, usually peak times for the parks, visitors may find long waits or closed services and facilities.
Among those already announced or noted are
- Saguaro National Park, Tucson is closing its two visitor centers on Mondays
- Yosemite National Park has halted reservations for this summer for its 577 campsites
- Effigy Mounds in Iowa is closing its visitor center two days a week until summer
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park has canceled its guided tours, and will end self-guided tours next month.
- Grand Canyon National Park had long lines last weekend as there were few employees to staff entrance stations
More and similar closings and limits are likely in the weeks and months ahead
