Destruction at historic landmarks, illegal base-jumping, and unchecked 'bear jams' are among escalating incidents at America's national parks due to staffing shortages caused by the ongoing government shutdown. Despite warnings from advocacy groups, the Trump administration has allowed many parks to remain partially open with minimal staff and services during what has become the longest shutdown in history.
Numerous incidents have been recorded across the country, including overflowing bathrooms, piled-up trash, unkept trails, and a 70-acre wildfire near an unstaffed campground in Joshua Tree, California. The Gettysburg Foundation reported that a stone wall at Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania had been toppled over, noting the lack of staffing due to the shutdown.
In Yosemite National Park, three people were convicted of illegal base-jumping after apparently taking advantage of the lack of law enforcement. An anonymous park employee told SFGATE that they knew of only one wilderness ranger working in the vast park, allowing some visitors to run rampant. 'There are lots of people that truly believe they can do whatever they want because of the lack of rangers,' the worker said.
Lower staffing levels have also led to a lack of monitoring of 'bear jams' – traffic buildups when bears get too close to the road – in Yellowstone National Park. Evan Stout, owner of Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, told SFGATE: 'The bear jams are pretty crazy. There's nobody overseeing those.'
Last month, more than 450 former national park leaders signed a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Bergum calling for the closure of the parks, citing the escalation in dangerous incidents. The letter, organised by the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and Association of National Park Rangers, stated: 'Our parks don’t run by themselves. The dedicated staff of the National Park Service keep them clean, safe, and functioning. And as these latest, and sadly predictable, incidents clearly demonstrate, our parks cannot operate without them.'
