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Governor Inslee says there are no resources to open National Parks

By John Knicely
By John Knicely

National Parks in Utah are back open despite the federal government shutdown, but that won’t be the case in Washington. The Utah governor got permission from the feds to spend up to $1.67 million, $166,572 per day of state money.  So KIRO 7 went to Washington Governor Jay Inslee.

“We just do not have the resources to do that,” Governor Inslee told KIRO 7.  “I'd love to be able to keep the National Parks open.  To think the jewels in our national crown are not open is very painful.”
It's painful for international tourists like Toni Duss from Switzerland.
“We wanted to visit the Olympic National Park, Mt. Rainier National Park,” Duss said.  “It makes us angry, but we can't do anything.  We are tourists, we are foreigners.”
And it’s painful for the businesses that rely on those tourist dollars.  Governor Inslee told KIRO 7 here in Washington the National Parks will remain at the mercy of the political squabbling in D.C.
“But I'm hopeful and I think we demand Congress get its act together and get over this shutdown,” Inslee said.  “It makes no sense to hold the country hostage.”

KIRO

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