Government Shutdown Forces Closure of San Juan Island National Historical Park

This press release just came in from Lee Taylor, Superintendent of San Juan Island NHP:

Friday Harbor, WA – Because of the shutdown of the federal government caused by the lapse in appropriations, the National Park Service (NPS) has closed all 401 national parks, including San Juan Island National Historical Park. All visitor facilities including visitor centers, picnic areas, beaches, park roads and trails are closed. The park will remain closed until the government reopens.

Pickett’s Lane is closed at Cattle Point Road. The access roads to American Camp and English Camp are also closed. Visitors may not access the park on foot, bike, or horse during the closure, even if they park outside the park.

In addition, all park programs and special events have been canceled, including Junior Ranger programs at the library, Earthcorps volunteer work at American Camp, installation of a trail puncheon by the San Juan Island Trails Committee, and more.

Nationally more than 715,000 visitors a day frequent the National Park System. Nationwide the NPS stands to lose approximately $450,000 per day in lost revenue from fees collected at entry stations and fees paid for in-park activities such as cave tours, boat rides and camping. Gateway communities across the country see about $76 million per day in total sales from visitor spending that is lost during a government shutdown.

In San Juan Island National Historical Park, eight employees are on furlough because of the shutdown. Two employees remain on duty, providing security and emergency services.

Nationwide the shutdown has also furloughed more than 20,000 National Park Service employees; approximately 3,000 employees remain on duty to ensure essential health, safety, and security functions at parks and facilities. About 12,000 park concessions employees are also affected.

Because it will not be maintained, the National Park Service website will be down for the duration of the shutdown. NPS.gov has more than 750,000 pages and 91 million unique visitors each year.

For updates on the shutdown, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.

About the National Park Service. National Park Service employees care for America’s 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.

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