Bishop Praises Gov. Herbert and Secretary Jewell for Working Toward Reopening Parks
Washington, DC,
October 10, 2013
WASHINGTON—Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the House Public Lands and Environmental Regulation subcommittee today praised Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for working on a compromise agreement to reopen national parks in Utah. Secretary Jewell has also joined with governors in three other states to strike similar agreements.
Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the House Public Lands and Environmental Regulation subcommittee today praised Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert and U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell for working on a compromise agreement to reopen national parks in Utah. Secretary Jewell has also joined with governors in three other states to strike similar agreements. Feds tells Utah it will accept state money to open national parks By Robert Gehrke The Salt Lake Tribune October 10, 2013 Interior Secretary Sally Jewell notified Utah Gov. Gary Herbert Thursday that the federal government would accept the state’s offer to lend money or resources to reopen Utah’s national parks, shut down as a result of the federal budget stalemate. Jewell spoke with Herbert by phone Thursday morning, notifying him of the decision, said Herbert’s spokesman, Nate McDonald. A letter is also en route to the governor, according to The Associated Press. Details of how and when the parks might reopen still has to be worked out, as well as the cost for restoring the shuttered operations. It is possible that Herbert may have to call the Legislature into a special session next week to approve the loan to the federal government to reopen the parks. It costs about $21 million a year to operate Utah’s five most prominent national parks, or about $60,000 a day. The closures of Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks had been a devastating blow to the tourist-dependent gateway communities around the tourist attractions. Zion National Park, for example, is the state’s third-most-visited tourist destination and a key piece of Utah’s $7.4 billion tourism economy. Several Utah counties had passed emergency declarations as a result of the closure and there were discussions of the state unilaterally reopening the parks, forcing a potential showdown with the federal managers. Governors of South Dakota, Arizona and Colorado have made requests similar to Utah’s. The Tribune will update this story as more information becomes available. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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