Shutdown Update | States Keeping National Parks Open
Arkansas Delta National Heritage Area Advances | Showcasing Florida Springs | T-Mobile Hometown Grants
This afternoon the Senate failed for the seventh time to advance the Republican clean short-term measure to fund the government by a vote of 54-45. It did not receive the necessary 60 votes to move forward. The Senate will be in session tomorrow, the House remains out of session.
For now, the government funding stalemate continues with no clear end in sight.
Today, Skift had a good round up of how States Step in to Keep National Parks Running during the Shutdown. A PDF of the article is posted below.
At a meeting yesterday, I learned that the national parks with entrance fees are prohibited from collecting them, even if they have available staff, because the NPS contingency plan requires that a set of visitor services must be provided in order to those fees. Some Friends groups have stepped in and are collecting entrance fees as a donation and are dedicating the funds to park operations. The Rocky Mountains Conservancy reported that they have offices outside of the park’s entrances and wanted to sell America the Beautiful passes but where prohibited. They pushed back noting that the passes are currently available at REI and L.L. Bean and they have now been approved to sell the annual passes. I thought this was a great support that Friends groups or tourism offices could provide at smaller or less visited parks.
Our friends at the National Park Conservation Association are collecting shutdown impacts to national park, national forests, and the gateway communities. If you have a story to share, please sent it to me.
Despite the deadlock in Congress, local leaders in Pine Bluff, Arkansas reported that they are making progress in securing designation for the Arkansas Delta National Heritage Area. The city wants to use the National Heritage Area to drive economic revitalization and highlight highlight the city’s distinctive history — from blues and gospel music to the Underground Railroad and the civil rights movement — into a compelling narrative. Local TV stations Fox 16 has a great piece on Pine Bluff pushes for National Heritage Area to boost downtown revitalization, recognition.
Florida Congressman Randy Fine (R-FL) has introduced legislation, the Path to Florida Springs National Park Act, to have the National Park Service study options for creating a national park that would encompass a sizable swathe of central and north Florida’s woods and springs, including Ocala National Forest, state forest lands, a few Florida state parks, and wildlife management areas. The proposal for a national park site has encountered local pushback over concerns about private property rights, and a local conservation non-profit has proposed designating the landscape as a National Heritage Area as a less controversial option. The Ocala Star Banner has good round up of the public discussion over how to preserve and showcase the remarkable Florida Springs.
A reminder that the T-Mobile Hometown Grants program runs through 2026. The application for Q4 applications opened on October 1 and closes on December 31. The grants target communities of 50,000 or less and are designed to jumpstart projects and build stronger communities. Funded projects include: building new hiking trails, revitalizing historic buildings, and creating communities centers. This could be a great way jumpstart an America 250 project. Detailed information and link to the application is available here.