Feature
Jazz ensemble benefit concert fills the Fenix Page 9
Feature
IVC organic farm promotes healthy minds and bodies College of Marin
Oct. 25, 2013
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Photo by Sindy Smart Point Reyes National Seashore was one of 59 national parks that were closed during the 16-day government shutdown. Public beaches like this one were off-limits to the public.
From Muir Woods to Point Reyes National Seashore
This land is not your land By Nash Kurilko
W ECHO TIMES
hen the Republican-controlled House shut down the government, nobody knew how long it would last or what the immediate effects would be. It was only when 59 national parks across America began closing that most citizens—and tourists— realized the full ramifications of the shutdown. Marin Headlands, Muir Woods National Monument,
Bolinas Ridge, Stinson Beach, and Point Reyes National Seashore were among the Bay Area parks included in the closure. Of Marin’s 332,928 acres, 118,669 are parks, reservoirs, or conservation areas. When the national parks closed, nearly 30 percent of Marin was off-limits to the public. The effect on local tourism was devastating. According to a February 2013 report issued by the National Park Service, Point Reyes, Muir Woods and the Golden Gate National Seashore generate $445 million a year in total revenue, and employ roughly 3,400 people.
“The shutdown of the national parks is causing considerable losses to both the federal government and the U.S. economy. The National Park Service is losing approximately $450,000 a day during the shutdown,” said National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst in a statement during the shutdown. Litterst noted that $300,000 was lost in admission fees, and an additional $150,000 from other in-park fees, including campground lots, boat rentals, and even cave tours. Basically, anything National Parks: Continued on Page 5