The National Park Service has ordered the closure of a Virginia park
that sits on federal land, even though the government provides no
resources for its maintenance or operation.
The Claude Moore Colonial Farm announced on Wednesday that NPS has
ordered it to suspend operations until Congress agrees to a deal to fund
the federal government.
According to Anna Eberly, managing director of the farm, NPS sent law
enforcement agents to the park on Tuesday evening to remove staff and
volunteers from the property.
"You do have to wonder about the wisdom of an organization that would
use staff they don't have the money to pay to evict visitors from a
park site that operates without costing them any money," she said.
The park withstood prior government shutdowns, noting in a news
release that the farm will be closed to the public for the first time in
40 years.
"In previous budget dramas, the Farm has always been exempted since
the NPS provides no staff or resources to operate the Farm," Eberly
explained in an emailed statement.
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