The end of the longest government shutdown in American history had National Park Service employees across the country celebrating through joyful posts to their social media accounts as the opening of government brings a return of funds to the federal agency.
“Following the enactment of the continuing resolution, the National Park Service is preparing to resume regular operations nationwide,” NPS said in a statement posted to its social media, “though the schedule for individual parks may vary depending on staff size and complexity of operations.”
“We are grateful to have the dedicated men and women of the National Park Service back at work, serving the American people and welcoming visitors to their national parks,” the statement, which was accompanied by a picture of two “supportive otters” holding hands, concluded.
During the 35 days the government was partially shut down, many of the country’s 418 parks had remained accessible with basic services, while others had closed due to a total lapse in funds. NPS stated that the schedule for each individual park to re-open or begin operating at full capacity depended on “staff size and complexity of operations” and recommended that visitors call ahead if they are unsure of a park’s status.
John Anfinson, superintendent of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, told the Associated Press that his employees were just “waiting for the green light,” when he texted his manager telling him to “Roll up the gate!”
One of the park’s rangers and self-proclaimed “birder” Sharon Stiteler called herself a “survivor” of the shutdown on Twitter and posted a video of the center’s gates opening with a simple caption capturing her glee — “Weeeee!”
Weeeee! pic.twitter.com/Ue3tbq8Us4
— Sharon Stiteler (@birdchick) January 26, 2019
The U.S. Department of the Interior shared a post of two rangers looking out at the landscape of the Glacier National Park, declaring that they’re “back online and honored to continue sharing the beauty and wonder of America’s public lands.”
“As all of the government reopens, we want to thank those respectful and protective of these important places during the shutdown,” the post read, adding a nod to employees who worked without pay in order to keep the public lands “safe and clean, and to ensure they’ll continue to be a proud legacy for future generations.”
The government shutdown began over the failure of President Trump and congressional Democrats to reach an agreement over funding a wall along the country’s southern border — one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises in 2016. It affected an estimated 800,000 federal workers who were either furloughed or had to work without pay from Dec. 22.
A continuing resolution has been enacted… just in time for Rocky Mountain National Park’s 104th birthday! Happy Birthday Rocky! We’re happy to be back at work providing services to your visitors and protecting your amazing resources. pic.twitter.com/w0F30RCba1
— RockyNPS (@RockyNPS) January 26, 2019
The park service employs more than 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal employees and also relies on the support of hundreds of thousands of volunteers. It has a budget of almost $3 billion.
