Natasha Blakely, natasha.blakely@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, the Interior Department issued an order to ensure that all national parks and historic sites remain open and accessible to the public. At the same time, the department leadership is still working overtime to eliminate its federal workforce, on top of the February mass firings that have led to Interior-managed parks and sites reducing hours or closing facilities.
In response, Gerry Seavo James, deputy director of the Sierra Club Outdoors for All campaign, said:
“Our hope is, of course, for our national parks and historic sites to be open and accessible to the public, but to do that without supporting these sites with sufficient staff and funding to do so safely and effectively is irresponsible. When many parks are already under-resourced, this puts them in an entirely untenable position with staff and visitor safety at risk, simply so the department can adopt the illusion of openness and accessibility.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.