A group representing former national park employees said federally-run parks have lost a lot of money during the ongoing government shutdown.
The Everglades National Park is among the many parks affected.
The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees said in the past 10 days of the government shutdown, national parks have lost about $750 million in potential visitor spending.
Spokesperson Joan Anzelmo said the Coalition estimates Everglades National Park alone lost more than $3.8 million during the shutdown.
The park was expected to get about 25,000 visitors in that time.
Anzelmo said the shutdown doesn’t just affect the park. She said it also hurts businesses that rely on park visitors.
“You know, this is all interconnected to our entire economy,” she Anzelmo. “So, whether it’s a park or a restaurant on the edge of the park, a hotel, a gift shop, a gas station—or the more distant providers to those national parks: utilities, trucking businesses. You name it, this is all interconnected and that’s part of the greater tragedy.”
The coalition estimates about 2,400 total jobs are at stake as Everglades National Park remains closed.
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