Utah DOT offers to plow roads in National Parks amidst federal shutdown

Officials with the Utah Department of Transportation are meeting with rangers from the National Park Service to discuss plowing roads in three of Utah’s national parks during the federal government shutdown.

The shutdown, which is now approaching the end of its third week, has halted funding to the national parks, including the funding for services like plowing.

On Dec. 31, Arches and Canyonlands national parks both announced the closure of park roads due to the unsafe conditions created by snowy roadways. Canyonlands, Arches and Capitol Reef national parks are under discussion in UDOT’s meeting with National Park Service officials.

National parks across the country have been particularly affected by the federal government partial shutdown, with issues ranging from the aforementioned unmaintained roads, to pervasive littering, to instances of human waste on walkways and overflowing toilet facilities.