Politics & Government

Government Shutdown Could Force National Parks, Historic Sites to Close

Minute Man National Park, Faneuil Hall and Bunker Hill Monument among many to be impacted.

In the event of a government shutdown this week, national parks and historic sites in all 50 states would be impacted by large scale closures.

All of the 18 National Park Service sites in Massachusetts would be impacted by closure including: Minute Man National Historic Park in Concord, the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Boston's Faneuil Hall and Adams National Historic Park in Quincy.

The Department of the Interior released contingency plans on national parks and park service employees impacted following a government shutdown.

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The National Park Service contingency plans will take all necessary steps to close and secure national parks facilities and grounds to suspend all activities except those essential for emergency response involving public safety and property protection. You can read the full contingency plan on the DOI’s website. This includes closing park roads and accesses, as well as closing and securing national and regional offices and support centers.

The National Park Service has announced all parks would be closed starting Tuesday in the event of a shutdown.

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Minute Man National Historic Park, and other Massachusetts sites have been here before, facing a possible closure due to a potential government shutdown in April 2011, as the park approached it’s annual Patriot’s Day events which draws visitors nationwide. 


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