Statement by Trust for Public Land on the Impending Government Shutdown  

San Francisco, CA – Trust for Public Land today released the following statement from TPL President Diane Regas on the impending shutdown of the U.S. Government:

“Government shutdowns hurt communities across the country, delaying needed services, furloughing workers, and causing disruption for people. It’s painful, and avoidable. And we have all witnessed how government shutdowns can close off America’s national parks, monuments, and historic sites to millions of visitors, and can lead to heartbreaking disrepair and irreparable damage. It’s not just a sad event that ruins vacations. Outdoor experiences for Americans are essential for their health and well-being. Government shutdowns put our national parks in jeopardy, hurt communities, and cause pain and disruption for people. That is why TPL is calling on the House of Representatives to pass a reasonable spending bill and avert a shutdown.

Shutdowns can cause lasting damage to communities nationwide, especially in historically underinvested communities whose economies depend on our national parks. A government shutdown would abruptly halt critical initiatives aimed at connecting more Americans to the outdoors. This includes suspending investment in urban tree canopies, neglecting the protection of breathtaking landscapes, denying recreational opportunities to hunters and anglers, and putting a stop to important work on culturally significant sites and trail projects that link our communities and foster connections.

Moreover, a government shutdown seriously jeopardizes essential efforts to combat climate change and provide urgently needed protection to vulnerable communities—a delay we cannot afford. Our ability to implement large-scale conservation and habitat restoration initiatives, which are crucial components of our climate action strategy, all hang in the balance.

The House of Representatives needs to act today to avert a harmful shutdown, by passing a common-sense spending bill, one without extraneous policy disputes or draconian budget cuts that will hurt the communities across this country that can least afford it.”  

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About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,364 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $93 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.4 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.