SHUTDOWN THE SHUTDOWN FOR JTNP SATURDAY JANUARY 26TH

Search
Go

Discussion Topic

Return to Forum List
This thread has been locked
Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic
sethsquatch76

Trad climber
Joshua tree ca
Topic Author's Original Post - Jan 22, 2019 - 11:03am PT



Assembly to Shutdown the Shutdown for Joshua Tree National Park
Citizens Rally to Open the Government, Fund National Parks, and Pay Federal workers

Joshua Tree National Park, Calif. (January 26, 2019)- As the Government Shutdown drags into the one month mark with no end in sight, concerned citizens will gather to demand an end to the government shutdown, proper funding and protection of National Parks, and the payment of federal workers. The rally will take place at the Cliffhanger Guides lot south of Coyote Corner at 10am to 12 noon on Saturday, January 26th.

The local economies of Joshua Tree and other nearby gateway towns are inextricably linked to Joshua Tree National Park and this high poverty area depends on tourism and service industry revenue. The government shutdown has resulted in resource damage within Joshua Tree National Park, federal employees are either furloughed or working without pay, and endangers community economic stability and the sensitive natural resources within the park. Joshua Tree National Park is the backbone of the local economy. To leave the gates open and furlough nearly all the staff and contractors during the busiest few weeks of the season was an act of utter irresponsibility by the federal government only barely mitigated by extensive local volunteer efforts. Meanwhile, the political stalemate in Washington D.C. shows no sign of ending.

-more-
Since 2000, Park visitation has swelled 1.2 million to 2.8 million visitors. Meanwhile, both budgets and staff numbers have been reduced. Essential law enforcement rangers have been working without pay since December 22nd with many hours of overtime. “Non-essential” staff were furloughed until January 10th when a partial staff was brought on using much-disputed recreation fees intended for Park infrastructure projects and long after peak holiday visitorship occurred. Morale is at an all-time low amongst government employees and contractors. Even at full staffing levels without a shutdown, the park is barely able to control the influx of visitors. Natural resources, antiquities and cultural resources are vulnerable to theft, vandalism and damage. With staggering increases in visitorship with little increase in staff and infrastructure capacity, the vulnerability is only exacerbated with the instability and disruption created by the government shutdown. “This recent vandalism has stoked what I'd call white-hot outrage among locals – both at the vandals and at the political forces that are keeping the park open but unprotected during the government shutdown,” said Chris Clarke, California Desert Program Manager for the National Parks Conservation Association .

“The government shutdown should never have happened in the first place. It is a failure in governance,” says Sabra Purdy, a local climbing guide service owner. “The American people and precious places like Joshua Tree deserve better.”

Participants will assemble peaceably to make their voices heard. End the shutdown, fund the government, pay federal workers and protect our parks.

Local residents and visitors alike are welcomed to join in this non-partisan, peaceful First Amendment assembly. Joshua Tree is a unique place with a diverse community of park service workers, marines, blue collar workers, artists, musicians and climbers. All are welcome to attend, show their support of federal workers and join the community in a show of support for ending the shutdown.

This assembly is being organized by a concerned group of local citizens and business people that believe in the enduring value of Joshua Tree National Park and the need for stewardship and protecting our town’s economic and ecological anchor. Guest speakers will provide different perspectives on the value of the parks and the need for an end to the government shutdown.

For more information, please contact Shutdown the Shutdown for JTNP organizer, Travis Puglisi at Email: sdthesd.jtnp@gmail.com
apogee

climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
Jan 22, 2019 - 06:54pm PT
Seth, you and Sabra are doing great work that benefits us all. Thank you.
telemon01

Trad climber
Montana
Jan 22, 2019 - 07:04pm PT

Good work Seth-

sethsquatch76

Trad climber
Joshua tree ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 24, 2019 - 07:46am PT
Really hope to see some of you at the Shutdown the Shutdown Rally this Saturday January 26th!!! 10am to noon...See Facebook event link below.

Cheers,

Seth


SHUTDOWN THE SHUTDOWN for JTNP

P.S. The Cactus Pricks will close the show...
sethsquatch76

Trad climber
Joshua tree ca
Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2019 - 03:54pm PT
We have just received the welcome news that the government will temporarily reopen. While we are relieved to hear that hundreds of thousands of federal workers will return to work and receive much needed back pay, this is only a three-week reprieve. Federal workers need and deserve certainty. Public lands need and deserve certainty. Regardless of what happens in the next three weeks, the repercussions of this shutdown will be felt by the park, the town, and the government for a long time to come. We believe that full funding and full staffing of our public lands is absolutely essential; parks cannot be run safely and effectively on a skeleton crew. We take this opportunity to urge our elected representatives to do the hard work of finding compromise and common ground and to never again allow shutdowns to be used as a political tool. It hurts all Americans and must not happen again. We remain committed to gathering people together on Saturday, January 26 to make our voices heard. This changes nothing. Shutdowns must not happen, federal workers deserve to do their jobs, the American people and public lands need and deserve certainty. Shutdown the Shutdown!
Roots

Mountain climber
Redmond, Oregon
Jan 25, 2019 - 04:08pm PT
Seth - add an "S" to your assembly's mantra and it'll work for the cause you are now focused on...

Shutdown the Shutdowns

;)
apogee

climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
Jan 29, 2019 - 06:12pm PT
"Police ourselves and we need less police, get it?"


Climbers did a pretty good job of that in the past (with a few exceptions here & there). The problems these days aren't so much with the climbers (except for the occasional slack line or hammock rigged to Joshua Trees), as it is with the hordes of other Park users. These days, climbers are in the minority.

Been into Rattlesnake Canyon lately? The graffiti up there wasn't done by climbers (I hope).

Seth and Sabra have a much better finger on the pulse of the Park these days. I'd tune into their view long before the chattering of the internet.
cragnshag

Social climber
Gilroy
Jan 30, 2019 - 06:07pm PT
The local economies of Joshua Tree and other nearby gateway towns are inextricably linked to Joshua Tree National Park and this high poverty area depends on tourism and service industry revenue... Joshua Tree National Park is the backbone of the local economy. To leave the gates open and furlough nearly all the staff and contractors during the busiest few weeks of the season was an act of utter irresponsibility by the federal government only barely mitigated by extensive local volunteer efforts.

Sounds like leaving the gates open was a good thing for the local economy. Imagine what a ghost town it would have been these last 5 weeks if all the tourists (and their dollars) stayed home. It would be so easy for the park service to just lock the gates like was done in previous shutdowns.

Perhaps the locals who depend on the tourist economy should thank the Dept. of the Interior for keeping the gates open.

My family and I spent 3 days in Jtree between xmas and new years. We dropped about $900 in town between lodging, food, and stuff at Nomads. We would not have come if the gates were closed.
apogee

climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
Jan 30, 2019 - 06:29pm PT
"...the tourist economy should thank the Dept. of the Interior for keeping the gates open. "


I sincerely doubt it was as simple as the Dept. of the Interior making a benevolent decision to leave the gates open. No doubt there was some kind of policy that dictated leaving the Parks accessible during the partial gov't shutdown.
Messages 1 - 9 of total 9 in this topic
Return to Forum List
 
Our Guidebooks
spacerCheck 'em out!
SuperTopo Guidebooks

guidebook icon
Try a free sample topo!

 
SuperTopo on the Web

Recent Route Beta