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Utah Reaches $1.7 Million Deal To Open Five National Parks In State

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Five national parks in Utah, plus one national recreation area and two national monuments, will reopen, temporarily, under a deal the state reached with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

Under the agreement, the state will provide $1.67 million so Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Zion national parks, along with Cedar Breaks and Natural Bridges national monuments, and the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area can open for up to ten days.

“Utah’s national parks are the backbone of many rural economies and hard-working Utahns are paying a heavy price for this shutdown,” Governor Gary Herbert said in announcing the agreement. “I commend Secretary Jewell for being open to Utah’s solution, and the world should know Utah is open for business and visitors are welcome.”

Under the terms of the deal, the Interior Department will notify site-specific personnel to return to work as soon as the state wires the money. Secretary Jewell indicated to the governor that within 24 hours of receiving wired funds, the national sites could be open and fully operational. At the time of this release, Utah expects parks to become fully operational by Saturday.

Utah’s initial funding for the agreement will come from existing resources within the Division of State Parks of the Department of Natural Resources. Further action may be warranted by the Utah State Legislature in a special session expected for next Wednesday, October 16. The Governor’s Office continues to work closely with legislative leaders to make DNR whole and identify optimal solutions. If the government shutdown continues beyond 10 days, Utah can make additional payments to keep the national parks and monuments open, a release from the governor's office said.

While Secretary Jewell made it clear to the governor that she cannot obligate the federal government for reimbursement to the State, the agreement stipulates repayment will be possible with approval from the U.S. Congress. Consequently, the governor has engaged Utah’s congressional delegation to actively pursue timely repayment to state coffers.

Elsewhere in the country, officials in Wyoming, California, and Washington state said they would not try to fund the reopening of national parks in their states.

Comments

The parents of the kids in McLean Lacrosse have access to resources that very few Americans do, that's why they were able to sue.

Baloney


C'mon, EC, "water flows uphill to money."

And that's why Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion, the two monuments and NRA are opening tomorrow. Utah has $$$ resources that other states don't, or don't want to commit.

That said, it seems a $1.7 million investment, in money the federal government likely will reimburse, is a small price to pay to get the parks and their surrounding gateway towns up and running.

What will be interesting is what if the shutdown isn't resolved in the next 10 days? Will Utah pony up some more $$$??? What also will be interesting to see is whether those who canceled their vacation plans to these parks once will return during this ten-day window...


Again, what is forgotten here is the history. Indeed, to a historian of the national parks (and Western History) this deal is momentous. It proves again how critical the national will has always been to the prosperity of the western states. They can complain all they want about the public lands as "a taking," but in the end they need them--and as states would have destroyed them--because that is what a "frontier" does. Fortunately, a bigger player--the federal government--intervened and allowed these lands to be preserved. Yes, there are state parks throughout the West, but nothing like the national parks. Big parks--and thus a Big tourist economy--require the national will. As a historian, I take heart that Utah has rediscovered this truism, even as its politicians continue to bad-mouth the public lands. But then--this is also the "old" Utah resserting itself. Remember Reed Smoot--the "father" of the National Park Service as the Utah Senator who championed the enabling act? And don't forget the Union Pacific Railroad, which single-handedly developed Zion, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, and the North Rim of Grand Canyon. In this case, history may not have repeated itself, but it sure came pretty close. Thank you, Utah, whatever your motives. Now you know why the rest of the country visits your state--and insists that every western state protect the public lands. Enjoy the wealth they bring, but yes, they belong to all of us. The only negative here is that we learn these things the hard way. Now, let us hope Congress is learning, too.


I really enjoy posts written by Alfred Runte.


Thank you. I enjoy posting on (and writing) for The Traveler because Kurt and Co. value history. It is indeed my favorite website of the many I follow.


I smell the stench of envy.


From City-Data:

McLean,VA Median household income in 2011: $166,738

VA Median: $61,822

McLean median home value: $868,943

VA Median: $243,100

So, I'd say Sara was pretty spot on. And look! Facts to back up my assertion.


Sure, McLean has a higher average income and home value. But everyone in this country has access to the courts and there is no evidence that money played any role in the court's decision. Like I said, the stench of envy.


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