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PLA Shares Shutdown's Impact on Public Land Nonprofits

By Public Lands Alliance Staff posted 01-11-2019 10:08 AM

  

SILVER SPRING, MD – The nonprofit partners of America's national parks, refuges, forests, and conservation areas are facing immense challenges as the government shutdown continues.

More than $1.6 million of revenue from retail sales and visitor programs have been lost through January 4, and will not be recovered, according to a PLA survey of nonprofit partners.

Additionally, more than 200 employees of these organizations have been laid off, furloughed, or compelled to accept leave without pay through January 11, creating unwarranted financial hardships for them and their families.

PLA believes these devastating numbers will continue to rise.

As the shutdown heads into its fourth week, PLA Executive Director Dan Puskar released the following statement:

"Congress and the President must come together to pass legislation that opens all of America's public lands so that park rangers, refuge managers, forest supervisors, and nonprofit staff can get back to work.

"The House of Representatives has passed legislation to fund the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service. PLA urges the Senate to immediately consider this legislation so that the nation's public lands can again be managed properly and safely enjoyed by visitors."

"Despite the unnecessary pain this shutdown has caused to nonprofit public lands partners, these organizations are persevering in this political crisis. They have provided visitor information, coordinated trash clean-ups, cleaned restrooms, and made cash donations to the federal government to operate facilities.

"Our elected leaders must act swiftly so that these nonprofit organizations can once again provide contributions, programs, products and services that enhance the experience of public lands visitors. It is not their job to keep public lands safe and open. It is the government's responsibility."

For updates regarding the government shutdown and its impacts on the nonprofit partners of America's public lands, visit https://www.publiclandsalliance.org/what-we-do/gov-relations/shutdown.


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