Joshua Tree national park 'may take 300 years to recover' from shutdown
The former superintendent of Joshua Tree national park has said it could take hundreds of years to recover from damage caused by visitors during the longest-ever government shutdown.
"What's happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years," Curt Sauer said at a rally over the weekend, according to a report from the Desert Sun. Sauer retired in 2010 after running the park for seven years.
The park reopened Monday after the record 35-day shutdown, and park workers returned to a state of chaos, including damaged trees, graffiti and ruined trails. The reduced ranger supervision during the shutdown saw increased vandalism at the park, causing officials to announce on 8 January that Joshua Tree would temporarily close. It was announced a day later that officials were able to use recreation fee revenue to avoid the closure.
"While the vast majority of those who visit Joshua Tree do so in a responsible manner, there have been incidents of new roads being created by motorists and the destruction of Joshua trees in recent days that have precipitated the closure," said park spokesman George Land in the news release.
Related: Cost to Enter National Parks Will More Than Double
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday January 31 2019, @07:48PM (1 child)
The story is about damage caused as a result of the shutdown. It was Trump's shutdown, all 100% of it. "I will be the one to shut it down. I will take the mantle. And I will shut it down for border security." In fact, he was proud to shut it down. Remember how there was a funding agreement ready to go before Christmas, then Coulter made him change his mind and leave McConnell out to dry?
Of course every shutdown story is going to implicate Trump, you dumbass! He is the reason there was one in the first place.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Saturday February 02 2019, @02:47PM
No, it does not implicate Trump. The people who vandalized the parks are implicated by the vandalism. They are responsible for the crime.
They also vandalize all the time, government shutdown or not. There's no delta there.
Washington DC delenda est.