News National Parks...Expect 'reduction in services'

There has been concern expressed that Zion and its permit system may take the easy way out and reduce or shut down access during this mess

Hi all, the following is from the Flagstaff Newspaper, the Arizona Daily
Sun. FYI,

Grand Canyon staff: Expect 'reduction in services'

The following are the contents of a letter sent from a National Park Service
office in Grand Canyon on Friday to people holding permits, including
permits to take customers backpacking in Grand Canyon. If your agency is
experiencing changes as a result of federal cuts, tell us about them at
ccole@azdailysun.com

We know there are a lot of questions from visitors and businesses as
sequestration begin to take effect, and government agencies begin to make
required across-the-board cuts. We have had to make difficult decisions in
preparing for these cuts. We have done our best to mitigate impacts to the
visiting public, business owners and operators, stakeholders and others. A
five percent reduction for Grand Canyon National Park means a cut of
$1,060,139 - so there will be a direct impact to all.

We want to be clear that Grand Canyon National Park remains open, and we
will continue to do our best to provide a quality visitor experience to all
who visit the park. Because it is not yet known how long a sequester would
be in effect, it's premature to speculate on specific impacts. Once we know
the duration of the sequester, we will be in a better position to identify
specific impacts.

What we know now is that visitors will see a reduction in services - summer
hours at the park's main visitor center will be reduced by two hours and
summer interpretive programs will be reduced, visitors will see longer lines
at the entrance stations and permits for backcountry use could take longer
to process. With a reduction in seasonal maintenance staff, park restrooms
and campgrounds will not be as clean, reopening some park roads (Hermit Road
and Desert View Drive) will be delayed after snow events, trails that close
because of damage from rock slides or weather events will take longer to
repair, and scheduled or emergency repairs to facilities, roads, overlooks,
etc., will be delayed.

As of now, there is no reason why your clients should cancel or change their
Grand Canyon travel plans. We appreciate your patience as we continue to
face this challenge. Should you have any questions or concerns, please
contact our information desk at 928-638-7888.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]​

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It's awesome that one of man's most noble feats (NPS) gets to be abused while all our elected officials get to keep the same paycheck.