Utah's congressional delegation wants the federal government to fund full operations at their national parks during the ongoing partial government shutdown/Bryce Canyon National Park photo by Rebecca Latson

Utah's congressional delegation wants the federal government to fund full operations at their state's five national parks, saying failing to do so puts the public's safety at risk during the ongoing partial government shutdown.

In separate letters -- one from the state's three GOP congressmen and one from first-term Democrat Ben McAdams -- the politicians maintain that while the Antideficiency Act normally prohibits agencies from general operations "in the absence of appropriations," it also makes an exception for "emergencies involving the safety of human life or the protection of property."

"Park rangers and search and rescue personnel respond to hundreds of emergency incidents in Utah parks each year," the Republicans wrote Friday. "While some national parks may see a decrease in visitation during the winter season, this is not always the case. Zion has seen a surge of visitation, with as many as 11,000 people visiting the park in a single day. Only a skeleton crew is left to protect and serve these thousands of visitors."

McAdams, who in November defeated Republican Mia Love for Utah's 4th Congressional District, pointed out in his letter to acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt that with no maintenance crews Arches National Park staff had to close a road when it became snow-covered.

Along with Zion, the delegation wants full funding restored to Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Arches national parks. There was no mention of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Golden Spike National Historic Site, Dinosaur National Monument, or Cedar Breaks National Monument.

During the ongoing partial government shutdown the National Park Service was directed to keep its parks open as much as possible. With the shutdown heading into its third week, more and more parks are being overwhelmed by human waste and garbage and have slowly been closing campgrounds and other areas where the trash has been overwhelming.

Yosemite National Park officials also announced Friday evening that the John Muir and Nevada Fall trails were being closed for human safety and due to human waste. On Christmas Day a man died above Nevada Fall when he fell in the Merced River and hit his head. Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks closed in entirety due to human safety and sanitation issues, and campgrounds in Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Big Bend, and Death Valley national parks also have been closed. Some roads in Rocky Mountain National Park were closed December 30 when they became snow-covered.

Utah's Republican congressmen -- Rob Bishop, Chris Stewart, and John Curtis -- asked the acting secretary to "invoke this exception to the Antideficiency Act and immediately take emergency measures to resume operations to the fullest extent allowable under the law."

Zion National Park has been supported by a coalition of groups -- the state of Utah; St. George, Utah; Washington County, and the Zion Forever Project -- that has provided funding to provide minimal custodial services in the park. On Friday those groups announced they would provide additional funding for the services through Jan. 12.

At Bryce Canyon, the Bryce Canyon Natural History Association provided funds to keep the park's visitor center open (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) at least through January 10th. The Great Smoky Mountains Association initially provided funds to keep Great Smoky Mountains National Park's visitor centers open, but that money ran out January 1.

In their letter, the Republicans noted that the state of Utah, which spent $1 million back in October 2013 to keep the five parks open during the government shutdown that month, never was reimbursed by the federal government.