More Updates on Closing of Privately-Funded Parks
Fox Business has done an article on the government closing of privately funded parks.
One interesting note - many state parks operate on Federal land using almost exactly the same king of lease contract (called a special use permit) we have to privately operate parks and campgrounds. If private parks with this type of lease with the USFS have to close, shouldn't state parks as well? For example, both Slide Rock SP in Arizona and Burney Falls SP in California operation using the same kind of lease as we do.
Xenophon Fenderson:
This parks business makes no sense except as politicking. I could see closing wilderness areas and such for safety reasons, but not at places managed with no government funds. I don't understand how the budget issues would affect your authority to operate.
October 3, 2013, 9:42 amXenophon Fenderson:
So at your parks, do you have any government staff? I'm thinking people like park rangers or SAR. Like, what happens if someone gets lost or injured?
October 3, 2013, 9:44 amHenryBowman419:
There are some folks who are simply more equal better-connected than others....
October 3, 2013, 10:03 amAnna:
Instapundit had a link this morning to a Wisconsin report on the Parks people telling the State to shut down the parks either operated together or leased from the Feds.
October 3, 2013, 10:18 amMax Lybbert:
In an earlier post, Coyote mentioned that one park was going to be legitimately closed because it relied on water supply provided by the government. In the past, he's also mentioned that the having customer service people do customer service -- like is done in his parks -- instead of having armed security guards do customer service -- like what often happens in federally-run parks -- makes for a more enjoyable experience for the customer.
I live near Lake Tahoe. One of my co-workers is a volunteer with the county Search and Rescue group. They don't patrol parks, but if a park needs their help they simply need to call the sheriff, who will send out the word.
October 3, 2013, 12:03 pmT Kelly:
do y'all think the ski areas in Colorado will be running if this goes into next month?
October 3, 2013, 1:14 pmMNHawk:
And a report of Wisconsin basically telling the feds to fluke off. Walker ordered them to remain open.
October 3, 2013, 1:21 pmbigmaq1980:
Nothing but a misguided (and a cynical) attempt to inflict the most visible "pain" on the public in the hopes of driving support for their cause.
Peel back the first onion layer on what kind of thinking this takes, and one can see that those in this Administration don't think highly about the public's ability to discern real from manufactured impacts.
Pulling stunts like this will continue to erode whatever credibility the WH has on this issue.
October 3, 2013, 2:04 pmMatthew Slyfield:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/scott-walker-blames-lawmakers-in-both-parties-for-federal-shutdown-b99111708z1-226154141.html
The Wisconsin DNR actually removed barricades that the NFWS placed on a boat launch at a state campground on the Mississippi river.
October 3, 2013, 3:46 pmmesaeconoguy:
Nice!
October 3, 2013, 5:25 pmMatthew Slyfield:
They ordered state parks that lease federal land to close, including several Wisconsin state parks. I live in Wisconsin and my family does a fair bit of camping. I have never seen a federal official working at any of the state parks.
October 3, 2013, 10:46 pmNehemiah:
Let me think, huh, Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown will close the CA parks and Janet Brewer will keep the AZ parks open.
Its all about the optics, how can we recreate when the government is shutdown. I'm just glad the Fed's don't have their fingers in professional baseball yet. I really enjoy the baseball playoffs, especially when the Red Sox are in them.
October 4, 2013, 11:01 amobloodyhell:
At Least Obama’s Golf Course Remains Open...
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/10/06/at-least-obamas-golf-course-remains-open/
The reason being that it is "funded by user fees" and thus isn't affected by the slowdown.
Of course, this seems as though it would apply also to privately operated parks on public lands.
And it should apply to any unsupervised, open-air facilities which are normally accessible to the public 24/7 with no personnel to be found... but which now have park service personnel GUARDING them to make sure you don't dare use them without your massuh's permission.
The GOP House has voted for funding for a number of important functions to continue -- cancer research, public parks, etc. -- but that's not Good Enough for the Democrats -- Harry Reid is refusing to allow those bills to be considered in the Senate, lest they pass.
No, you're supposed to feel PAIN as a result of the slowdown. They don't want you asking what the Government actually DOES with those TRILLIONS of dollars it spends.
That would only be Right and Just.
October 6, 2013, 7:11 pmLarryGross:
who provides security and responds to incidents? who fixes the water system if they break? Also - parks have been closed before when there are fire threats - they don't want people in the area to start with if it could cause the need for a response for which they lack manpower to deal with.
when there are shutdowns, there are all manner of seemingly perverse and inexplicable actions that people don't understand but one example, Skyline Drive closes whenever they lack sufficient Park Police or maintenance personnel - no matter the reason. They just lock the gates shut down the campgrounds, etc.
Last time we were up there in July - half the campgrounds were closed due to budget cuts from the sequester.
Many of the Federal campgrounds in the East are run by concessionaires but security and maintenance is provided by the Feds and when they lack the staff - they shut down facilities.
Oh - and they do this no matter who is POTUS... Both the Park Service and Forest Service (which is the Dept of Agriculture NOT Interior pretty much run on a shoestring. If you go to a National Park in the summer, and pay attention, you'll see a LOT of volunteers interpreting the exhibits and staffing the visitor centers.
it's one of the most lean of the Fed agencies and it has one of the more effective volunteer staffing functions in the govt.
I'd actually be curious to know the total costs of operating a FS campground when you include the roads, water, law enforcement, etc.. not just the concessionaire part.
how about it Warren? My understanding is that just the cost of the infrastructure alone and it's annual maintenance is as big or bigger than the concessionaire costs.
October 7, 2013, 4:02 amLindaRealism:
No doubt he'll just beg money from the feds later, scumbag that HE is.
October 8, 2013, 9:38 amMNHawk:
Well, sweetheart, you bring your little self back here when he does, you hear?
Sucks you can't just promote the garbage that is your President, I imagine.
October 8, 2013, 9:45 amLindaRealism:
Our president is garbage?
October 8, 2013, 10:43 amMan, why not start looking around and trying to educate yourself in reality instead of idiotic partisan lies? Obama is a great president. I'd be so embarrassed to be touting the lying Scott Walker! LOL