Walsh bill would keep national parks open

A bill that would prevent national parks and other public lands from being closed during a government shutdown was introduced into the U.S. Senate on May 13 by Sen. John Walsh.

The Keeping Public Lands Open Act is intended to ensure that operations at national parks and other public lands continue if there is a lapse in funding as a result of a federal government shutdown, such as happened last fall.

“Communities outside of Yellowstone and Glacier national parks suffered last October when politicians in Washington couldn’t come together for real solutions and instead closed the gates to our public lands,” Walsh said. “Local businesses, tourists and sportsmen and women deserve certainty that our public lands will remain open to Montanans and the millions of people who visit our state each year.”

Walsh noted that Montana’s tourism industry is the second-largest economic contributor in the state.

“We must make sure that we don’t lose millions of dollars in revenue because of the dysfunction in Washington, D.C.,” he said.

The 16-day government shutdown last fall cost Montana $45 million in economic activity, including estimated lost revenues of $18 million in the gateway communities around Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.

The government shutdown also closed the gates at national wildlife refuges and federal campgrounds around Montana at the start of big game hunting season. It also threatened to cut off funding that protects fish and wildlife habitat, opens access for sportsmen and keeps family farms and ranches intact.

More than 4.4 million visitors came to Montana’s national parks in 2012, spending $403 million and supporting more than 6,500 jobs. The Outdoor Industry Association estimates that during that year, outdoor recreation in Montana supported more than 64,000 jobs and resulted in $5.8 billion in consumer spending.

In addition to keeping national parks open, Walsh’s Keeping Public Lands Open Act would also protect:

• National Wildlife Refuges

• National Forests

• Bureau of Land Management lands

• Conservation programs that benefit landowners and sportsmen, including:

• Land and Water Conservation Fund projects

• North American Wetlands Conservation Fund projects

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation projects

• Migratory Bird Conservation Fund projects

• Private land conservation programs.