WKSU Stories

Cuyahoga Valley National Park Already Feeling the Effects of Partial Government Shutdown

Ideastream Public Media | By Kabir Bhatia

Published December 24, 2018 at 12:27 AM EST

The partial government shutdown is already having an impact on the Cuyahoga Valley National Park – even though parts of the park are still open.

There are currently no rangers in the parks.

The trails are open, and the parking lots should be accessible unless they’re blocked by heavy snow; there is no contract in-place for snow removal.

Deb Yandala, CEO of the Conservancy for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, says if the shutdown lasts more than a few days, it could lead to issues for visitors and the parks.

“We’re really concerned about the fact that there’s not adequate National Park staff for visitor protection, for resource protection, and for leading programs during a week that is usually a very well-visited week for Cuyahoga Valley National Park.”

Yandala adds that other sites managed by the National Park Service – such as the First Ladies’ Library in Canton – will remain entirely closed to the public during the shutdown. The scenic railroad, however, had already closed for the year and is not slated to run again until next month.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad has already wrapped up its year and is not being impacted by the government shutdown.