Human waste, trash overwhelm some national parks in shutdown

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Human waste, trash overwhelm some national parks in shutdown

By ELLEN KNICKMEYER and JOCELYN GECKER
December 31, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Human feces, overflowing garbage, illegal off-roading and other damaging behavior in fragile areas were beginning to overwhelm some of the West’s iconic national parks on Monday, as a partial government shutdown left the areas open to visitors but with little staff on duty.

“It’s a free-for-all,” Dakota Snider, 24, who lives and works in Yosemite Valley, said by telephone Monday, as Yosemite National Park officials announced closings of some minimally supervised campgrounds and public areas within the park that are overwhelmed.

“It’s so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I’ve seen in my four years living here,” Snider said.

The 10th day of the partial federal government shutdown, which has forced furloughs of hundreds of thousands of federal government employees, has left many parks without most of the rangers and others who staff campgrounds and otherwise keep parks running.

Unlike shutdowns in some previous administrations, the Trump administration was leaving parks open to visitors despite the staff furloughs, said John Garder, senior budget director of the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/e28b313197bb46bebef0faca24b333ed

[Delarage]

1. Like DC?

“It’s so heartbreaking. There is more trash and human waste and disregard for the rules than I’ve seen in my four years living here,”

--any person who has lived in Washington, DC since Individual 1 took office.

[RKP5637]

2. The stench in DC is incredible! Seems to come from the White House! n/t