29 January 2019 - Joshua Tree National Park May Feel The Effects Of Government Shutdown For Hundreds Of Years
Joshua Tree Suffered 'Irreparable' Harm During Shutdown, Could Take 300 Years to Recover
Katherine Hignett (Newsweek, 28/01/2019)
A former park supervisor condemned the impact of the recent government shutdown on California’s Joshua Tree National Park at a protest rally Saturday.
Activists said that the lack of park rangers on duty left the iconic protected area open to off-roading, vandalism and illegal camping.
"What's happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years," Curt Sauer, who was park superintendent from 2003 to 2010, told locals at the rally, according to Palm Springs' Desert Sun newspaper.
As Joshua Tree reopens, anger over damage to economy, environment
Louis Sahagun (Los Angeles Times, 26/01/2019)
Against a backdrop of jumbled boulders and spindly trees, former Joshua Tree National Park Supt. Curt Sauer joined dozens of people at a rally in this high desert enclave on Saturday to express their anger over the economic and physical damage caused by the partial government shutdown to the park and the surrounding community.
President Trump signed a short-term spending bill on Friday that will reopen the government until Feb. 15. But the 35-day shutdown has already taken a heavy toll on the economy of this dusty refuge for nature lovers, rock climbers and artists at the main gateway to the 800,000-acre national park, as well as on the otherworldly landscape within the park’s boundaries.
Former Joshua Tree supervisor warns of ‘irreparable’ damage to park from shutdown
Avery Anapol (The Hill, 28/01/2019)
A former superintendent of California’s Joshua Tree National Park is warning of “irreparable” damage to the park following the partial government shutdown.
Curt Sauer cited widespread illegal off-roading and other environmental concerns that arose during the funding lapse while addressing a gathering of dozens of park visitors and supporters on Saturday.
“What's happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years," he said, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun.
Joshua Tree national park 'may take 300 years to recover' from shutdown
Ashley Boucher (The Guardian, 29/01/2019)
The former superintendent of Joshua Tree national park has said it could take hundreds of years to recover from damage caused by visitors during the longest-ever government shutdown.
“What’s happened to our park in the last 34 days is irreparable for the next 200 to 300 years,” Curt Sauer said at a rally over the weekend, according to a report from the Desert Sun. Sauer retired in 2010 after running the park for seven years.
The park reopened Monday after the record 35-day shutdown, and park workers returned to a state of chaos, including damaged trees, graffiti and ruined trails. The reduced ranger supervision during the shutdown saw increased vandalism at the park, causing officials to announce on 8 Januarythat Joshua Tree would temporarily close. It was announced a day later that officials were able to use recreation fee revenue to avoid the closure.