Congressman Joe Neguse Votes to Re-Open All of Our National Parks with Full Staffing and to Allow EPA to Resume Its Activities Protecting Public Health

Washington D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Neguse joined House Democrats to pass the FY 2019 Department of the Interior and EPA appropriations bill to prevent the degradation of Colorado’s national parks and allow EPA to resume its critical activities in protecting clean air and clean water for Colorado families. Colorado’s national parks contribute $725 million in economic output annually, Rocky Mountain National Park alone generates $433 million. Every day the government remains shutdown, economic output for Colorado is sacrificed. In addition, Colorado’s $34.1 million in EPA state grants are currently at risk because of the government shutdown.

“Since the shutdown began, many of America’s treasured national parks have seen degradation – filled with garbage, increasingly unsanitary conditions, and even damage to fragile ecosystems,” said Rep. Joe Neguse. “Meanwhile, local businesses outside our parks, like Rocky Mountain National Park, are struggling economically without visiting tourists. Democrats are taking swift action to honor our duty to end this chaos, keep people safe and be responsible stewards of these precious resources that are the economic and cultural heart of so many Colorado communities. I implore Senate Republicans to take up this common-sense bill and reopen our national parks.”