National parks across the country will remain partially open during the government shutdown. Joshua Tree National Park will operate with a skeleton crew and conservationists worry that could spell danger.
Just maintenance and public safety workers will be on the job at Joshua Tree, according to the Department of the Interior’s contingency plan.
Chance Wilcox is with the National Parks Conservation Association that works to protect Joshua Tree. He’s worried that Joshua trees and the park will get trashed by visitors like it was during the shutdown in 2019.
“It took months to recover from. We saw a lot of issues that were irreparable after the fact,” said Wilcox.
In 2019, people ran over Joshua trees and endangered tortoises while illegally off-roading. Trash was strewn across the park and restrooms overflowed with sewage.
The National Park Conservation Association is pleading with the federal government to close the park so that doesn't happen again.