Posted on 12/27/2018 9:21:38 PM PST by yesthatjallen
National parks across the U.S. are facing a number of complications amid the current government shutdown, including excess garbage and illegal activities.
Because of the partial government shutdown that has been in effect since last week, employees of the National Park Service haven't been working.
At Joshua Tree National Park in southern California, that has resulted in illegal fires, illegal parking and an increase in littering, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Rand Abbott, a volunteer at the park, told the Times that he has tried to talk people out of littering and other illegal activity but said that 70 percent of the people he encounters "are extremely rude."
“Yesterday, I had my life threatened two times," he added. "It’s crazy in there right now.”
Toilets have also not been maintained at that park due to the lack of workers. Abbott told the Times that he has "gone through 500 rolls of toilet paper" as he's tried to do it himself.
Big Bend National Park in Texas has also faced problems of overflowing garbage, resulting in the potential for black bears to be attracted to the park.
Big Bend Superintendent Bob Krumenaker told National Parks Traveler in an email that "trash WILL attract bears."
"And that creates a safety problem for people and puts the bears at risk as they quickly become habituated to human food," he added.
National parks across the country have stayed open during the shutdown, but a former director of digital strategy for the Interior Department last week warned of the dangers of the parks remaining open.
"As someone who worked @interior during the shutdown in [2013], let me tell you how dangerous this is," Tim Fullerton, who worked for Interior during the 2013 shutdown, wrote on Twitter.
“If someone falls, gets lost, or has any issue in a National Park or wildlife refuge, they’re on their own,” he added.
I remember watching a show many years ago. It was in the very early times where a park or national area had opened for the first time in the west (still being explored). It brought people from all over the U.S. They soon learned people from the East were littering everywhere and made a dump out of a prestige area.
They had to change the rules to preserve the area. Anyone know what I’m talking about?
*** litter. my god, we’re doomed. ***
I was in Hercegovina during the Balkan wars. In the mornings, the rugs would go out on balconies to be beaten, and the housewives would take their brooms, and sweep the streets in front of their houses, even the unpaved ones.
In my small town TX neighborhood, there are a lot of older generation folks whose families originally came from Mexico. In the mornings, you will see them, broom in hand, sweeping the street, and along the curbs in front of their homes.
I pick up Whataburger, fast food trash, beer cans, etc tossed from cars, and occasionally leaf blower along the curb, but never sweep with a broom.
I have come to the conclusion that a lot of Americans are slobs, and thoughtless litterers.
When people in a war zone, and 80+ year old Mexican ladies are more dedicated to keeping things nice in their neighborhoods than younger healthier Americans, I question how/why we are so disinterested in keeping our neighborhoods tidied up.
Oh my, this never happened during the Ostinko shutdown.
If you are always running into assholes, maybe you're the asshole.
I drive around Minuteman National Park everyday. During the last shutdown in 2013, there were sawhorses in the entries with signs saying the park was closed. Now there is no evidence of anything going on. I have seen no litter or evidence vandalism.
I suspect the author has a hidden agenda: to get people to notice that the government is shutdown, to justify the “Park Closed” signs put up during the Obama shut down.
re: “National parks across the U.S. are facing a number of complications”
Lions and tigers and bears - oh my!
I’l bet this is a BIG concern at The Hill, too.
I’m planning on visiting 5 or 6 parks in Utah and California beginning on 1/23. As long as they don’t block off entrance to parks I’m sure I’ll get by. I would think the rangers checking my pass at the entrances are considered essential.
How many visitors are from South of the border?
Build the Wall!
It would help if they had trash cans. Many parks don’t because claim they they are attempting social engineering of the “leave no trace” principle. Hence they say to take your trash back with you.
Interestingly enough, with the reduced maintenance expense of not having to hire people to maintain the now removed trashcans, their overall budget never decreased.
This is a common government trick that folks routinely fall for - market reduced service as a benefit but never cut the budget. That gives them more money for their lavish benefits and pensions.
“I have come to the conclusion that a lot of Americans are slobs...”
This... It is so disgusting that our nation has devolved into such.
So, did you politely and discretely befriend and educate him?
I’ve done things like that, but it’s risky.
Well, it’s just going to go into a landfill, anyway, so why not spread it out?
Hmmmm- biggest example is in S. Kalifornia - any bets on the origins of those starting the illegal (can they say that no person is illegal and then say the person is doing something illegal - I get so confused...) and expect us to be all upset ....
Trap, neuter, release.
And the worse thing about it? This is the water THEY will be drinking themselves in L.A. Idiots...
Gloom, despair, and agony on me,
Deep, dark, depression and excessive misery;
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all,
Gloom, Despair, and agony on me.
“The horror! The horror!” to quote Joseph Conrad from Heart of Darkness — and the line that Kurtz utters in Apocalypse Now.
Yeah that is at my top of the list of things NOT to do....like spitting on sidewalks.
That would be a great executive order.
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