Question: How many employees are affected?
Answer: Based on the Department of the Interior’s new 2013 contingency plan, the shutdown has put nearly 87 percent of Park Service employees—more than 21,000 staff members—indefinitely out of their jobs.
Question: What is the shutdown costing the National Park Service in lost revenue?
Answer: According to an October 1, 2013 press release, the Park Service estimates that it is losing $450,000 per day in lost entrance fees and revenue from park activities such as campground reservations and tours.
Question: How are local businesses being affected?
Answer: According to the Department of the Interior, the last government shutdown in 1995-1996 cost local businesses $14 million per day. Our analysis indicates the actual impact on businesses now could be closer to $30 million per day.
Question: How are local governments being affected?
Answer: The overall economic impact of national park closures is substantial for some regions that rely on national park tourism. For example, during the last government shutdown, Mariposa County, California, lost $10,000 per day in tax revenue because Yosemite was closed and 25 percent of adults in the county were temporarily out of work. Visitation has increased steadily since 1996, meaning the impact on local tax receipts alone could be much higher. The average visitor spending per day in October over the last two years was more than $30 million.
Question: How many visitors are affected?
Answer: A shutdown will affect as many as 750,000 visitors daily across all parks. October is peak season for many tourists who travel to see the changing autumn leaves; family trips to parks like Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway, Golden Gate, and Cape Cod will all be impacted. It is also peak wedding season in some parks, and many carefully planned events are now in jeopardy.
Question: What are the economic benefits of keeping parks open?
Answer: Every federal dollar invested in national parks generates ten dollars in economic activity. National parks are powerful economic engines, supporting $31 billion in private-sector spending annually. National parks also mean good jobs around the country. The National Park Service employs approximately 24,000 people, and national parks support 252,000 private-sector jobs.
Question: How long were national parks closed during the last government shutdown?
Answer: The parks were closed for a total of 27 days (Nov. 14-19, 1995 and Dec. 16-Jan. 6, 1996).
