Breakthrough: National parks could be reopened soon

Jason Cannon
October 10, 2013
Unit 1-2

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865588123/Breakthrough-National-parks-could-be-reopened-soon-if-Utah-uses-own-money.html

Synopsis:

Utah Governor Herbert is trying to get the Utah national parks open using state money and resources.  The Obama Administration said that some national parks could be opened by states as long as the states used their own money to do so.  Herbert says he is, " . . . very concerned about those in rural Utah that are impacted in such a negative way because of the closure of these parks."  He is trying to work out the details with federal government officials, including making sure that Utah will be paid back for the money they put into the national parks.

Comments:

I think that the effort being made by Government Herbert to reopen the national parks is a valiant one.  I can see why local economies are being greatly hurt by shutdown.  Many of them rely on the business the national parks attract, and without it they lose money fast.  In the article it mentioned that the shutdown of Zions National Park cost surrounding communities 3.5 million dollars.  I don't understand many of the economic consequences of the national parks being shut down, but I know it greatly influences several Utah communities. 

As long as the state will get paid back by the federal government after they work the budget out, I think that Utah should put money towards opening the national parks.  We should be careful that we don't overdue it and put ourselves at financial risk, but I think the fact that Governor Herbert said, "We'll see what we can afford and what we can do," shows that we will be responsible with the money we put forward.