Click to view entire image

Channel Islands National Park officials were seeking permission to use dedicated fees to remove this tree/NPS

When a tree falls on a trail at Channel Islands National Park during the ongoing partial government shutdown, it stays there until park staff can get the OK from Washington to use funds dedicated for other purposes to remove it. 

In Utah, meanwhile, donations from the Canyonlands Natural History Association were being used to staff the Island in the Sky Visitor Center in Canyonlands National Park as well as the Arches National Park Visitor Center.

At Channel Islands off the coast of California, the Upper Scorpion Campground on Santa Cruz Island was closed Thursday after a eucalyptus tree fell across that access trail to that portion of the island. The Lower Scorpion Campground and restrooms were open and accessible to visitors.

"The park is exploring the possibility of utilizing recreation fee funds to address the issue and restore access to this portion of the island," a park release said. "Additionally, this closure due to the hazard tree will restrict access for visitors to the Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail and the Upper Scorpion Canyon Trail to Potato Harbor. Potato Harbor will still be accessible via the Cavern Point Trail."

Last weekend top Interior and National Park Service officials decided to spend Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act revenues on daily custodial services. Those fees were dedicated by Congress for improving visitor facilities and experiences, shrinking the park system’s huge maintenance backlog, and hiring seasonal rangers. 

Park-by-park decisions on how the FLREA funds can be used have to be approved by acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Under his directive, park superintendents have been given a spreadsheet to fill out. Dollar numbers to be inserted are focused on basic visitor services (e.g., staffing needs, number of hours to be worked, toilet paper costs, gasoline for NPS vehicles), indirect costs (such as administrative staff), and the cost to pay salaries of personnel who have remained on the job, without pay, since the partial shutdown began.

There is no space for narrative and no stated criteria for how the spreadsheets will be analyzed and ranked. There also was no indication whether money might be stripped from projects that have been committed to, but not begun, and no indication whether money might be shifted between parks.

Meanwhile, at Channel Islands and other national parks, "visitors are advised to use caution during their visit as NPS personnel are limited during the lapse in appropriations."