As of this writing, we are now 19 days into the government shutdown of 2018-2019. There have been untold issues that have come from the current political stand-off, not the least of which is the vast number of government workers not being paid to go to work. Non-essential personnel were told to go home, and those dubbed as "essential" are working without pay.
Strangely enough, one part of the government that has not been shut down has been the National Parks Service. And the consequences of that decision are unfolding before our very eyes.
The stories of the issues that the shutdown has had on the NPS have been broadly told. Campsites, bathrooms, and trash bins have been overflowed and destroyed. Joshua Tree National Park had to be closed because the tourists were destroying the trees. Several people have died because there have been no rangers regulating areas. And there are probably several more untold stories of what is going on in our public lands.
Without going too deep into these stories, as they've already been covered extensively, let's explore the true impact of what is going on in our parks.
Unfortunately, what is going on in the National Parks during this government shutdown is a perfect example of the tragedy of the commons. The tragedy of the commons is a concept that posits that individuals will use public resources in their own self-interest rather than for the good of the whole community. The result is a diminished or destroyed resource. I wrote about how we are loving our parks to death a little while ago, but without regulation, this concept is more apparent than ever. The destruction of public resources was limited while the parks were actually being run, as there were rangers going around and making sure that visitors were toeing the line. At this point, rangers have not been working in the parks, but they have still been open to the public. The results have been these awful stories of human feces and trash piling up, and at times, the destruction of the resources themselves.
Sadly, this entire mess that the NPS is involved in could have been avoided in the first place. It would have been a very simple matter to just close the parks until the shutdown is over. That way, the resources that keep people coming to the parks are protected. In fact, it may have actually been good for the resources to be allowed to sit without any human interference. It could have allowed nature and the wildlife to equalize themselves without the influence of humans, perhaps even enhancing the experience when these places are reopened. Instead, they are very quickly being destroyed. It's strange in the first place that the national parks were considered essential to remain open, as it would have actually done the parks a lot of good to be closed for a while.
The other option is to turn the responsibilities over to the states to run the parks while the federal government mulls their decisions. Utah has now done this for the last several shutdowns, and this one is no exception. Utah is one of the few states in the NPS system that is still collecting entrance fees to run park operations, so the shutdown has not hit there as hard. In fact, Utah has actually made money in shutdowns past using this system.
This is whole shutdown mess is another example of how we are not treating our natural resources with respect. The issues that the national parks are currently experiencing could have very easily been avoided. Instead, anarchy reigns in the parks, making it worse for all of us in the end. It is clear that the government cannot be relied upon to protect our public lands adequately, so it falls to the responsibility of the individual. If we fall into the trap of the tragedy of the commons, as we are now, our children may never enjoy these amazing resources as we do now. It is our job to be responsible followers of Leave No Trace, and do our part in preserving the parks.
Growing up in South Africa and moving to Utah, USA as a teenager, Scott is a graduate of Utah Valley University’s Outdoor Recreation program. Scott is currently a Master’s Student at the University of Florida. His research interests include ecotourism, sustainability, and tourist affect cycles. He has worked in multiple therapy, outdoor, and retail settings, and is a published author.