With a potential government shutdown coming next week, officials on Mount Desert Island are raising concerns about a potential closure of Acadia National Park.
The Bangor Daily News reports that if Congress can’t come to an agreement over the budget by the end of Tuesday, at least a partial shutdown will occur that’ll limit operations by federal agencies like the National Park Service. If Acadia closes down tourists could decide to stay at home, reducing business for local hotels, restaurants, and shops. It could also mean layoffs or furloughs for park employees, compounding on already reduced numbers from staffing cuts by the Trump administration back in January.
A report from the National Park Service last year found that Acadia visitors spend $475 million each in surrounding communities.
“That spending supports 6,600 local jobs and has a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $685 million,” Stephanie Clement, vice president of conservation for the advocacy group Friends of Acadia told the BDN. “We urge Congress to take action to keep national parks open, fully funded, and operational.”
The most recent time that the park was affected by a federal shutdown during its busy season was in 2013, when the park was closed for 16 days. Two other federal shutdowns have happened since then but didn’t affect the park as much due to the shutdowns coinciding with the park’s off-season in winter.
To read the original Bangor Daily News article, click here.
