A group of National Park staff, current and former, has called on Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to close the National Parks system to help flatten — or shift — the curve of those infected by the novel coronavirus by preventing citizens from congregating in protected wilderness areas.
“We are writing express our grave concerns that, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most popular attractions in many national parks, such as the Grand Canyon, Shenandoah and Zion, remain open and easily accessible to park visitors,” said a letter signed by The Coalition to Protect America’s National Park (CPANP), a nonprofit comprising 1,800 current and former NPS employees.
Two weeks ago, Mr. Bernhardt announced NPS would suspend visitor fees at gates and encouraged Americans to take advantage of spacious, outdoor parks in order to decongest communities and support social distancing.
But critics — including CPANP — argue the plan backfired, with overrun national parks leading to dangerous and up-close encounters and the subsequent spread of the contagious virus. Both Virginia and Utah have reported positive confirmation of COVID-19 in areas containing Shenandoah, Zion and the Grand Canyon.
“In this time of crisis we believe that the absolute PRIORITY of the Department and the NPS should be to safeguard employee and public health,” says the letter, penned by Philip A. Francis Jr., chair of the CPANP.
Last week, the NPS closed Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and the Great Smoky Mountains national parks over concerns of overcrowding. Officials at Great Smoky, for example, reported 30,000 persons entered the park per day prior to its closure — an increase of 5,000 per day over last year.
• Christopher Vondracek can be reached at cvondracek@washingtontimes.com.
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