C&O Canal CLOSED

[namfos]

FYI - Received this today from C&O Canal Trust:

Mark -

As you may be aware, our Federal Government has shut down for an indeterminate amount of time. What you may not have realized, however, is that the closure of the Federal Government means the closure of the C&O Canal National Historical Park and all other National Parks. For the C&O Canal, this means:

THE TOWPATH IS CLOSED

• Visitor traffic, whether on foot, bike, or horse, is strictly prohibited.
• Bicyclists planning rides from Pittsburgh to DC on the GAP and C&O Canal should plan to turn back at Cumberland.
• All Visitors Centers are CLOSED.
• Hiker/Bikers and campgrounds are CLOSED.
• The Canal Quarters lockhouses are CLOSED.
• All restroom facilities, both permanent and portable, are CLOSED.
• Handles have been removed from all well pumps.
• The only Park staff that will be on duty will be law enforcement rangers.
• The portion of the Capital Crescent Trail that runs parallel to the towpath in DC is managed by the C&O Canal NHP and is CLOSED. 
• All access roads to the Park are CLOSED. This means you will not be able to trailer boats to boat ramps along the towpath.
• Interpretive and educational programming in the Park will be temporarily suspended. School field trips to the Park will need to be rescheduled once Park staff has returned.
• Volunteer events and events requiring special use permits will not be able to take place.
• All volunteers working in an official capacity should cease volunteer activities immediately and not enter the Park's premises.

After working side-by-side with the wonderful staff of the C&O Canal NHP for many years, it's heartbreaking for the Trust to see them closing the doors, given no choice but to turn away thousands upon thousands of visitors seeking to recreate and rejuvenate along the canal's towpath.

While the Park staff has no choice but to stand idly by, we as civilians can take action:

• Educate yourself and others on how the shutdown affects National Parks.
• Be vocal on social media and use #KeepParksOpen.
• Use any means of communication you can - letter, email, phone call, social media, or even a carrier pigeon - to appeal to Congress. Find your US Representatives and Senators on the National Park's Conservation Association's Legislative Lookup.
• Send notes of encouragement to the Park staff through our Facebook, Twitter, andemail. To say this is a rough time for them is an understatement. We'll forward your notes on and post them on social media, letting our Park Rangers know how much we appreciate them and are anxiously awaiting their return.
• Last but certainly not least, respect the closure. While we don't like it one bit, we have to respect it. Disregarding the closure can create potentially unsafe and hazardous situations, damage Park resources, and create undue work and stress on the few staff left standing.

Thank you,

[Danny Barrett]

Maybe a dumb question, does this include the SNP and GWNP?

Thanks,

Dan Barrett

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[Rob Snowhite]

The mossy creek boys posted on Facebook that all entrances to SNP are closed. 

Sent from my iPhone

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[Eric Y.]

All national parks everywhere. Including Yosemite, which celebrated 123 years of National Park-dom today. Irony abounds. 

[namfos]

I have to wonder though if NPS was able to deploy enough staff yesterday to close access to the likes of Violettes, Swains, Pennyfield locks and further upstream. Harpers Ferry has a significant NPS presence so that's probably closed but I have not idea about farther afield.

Mark

[Dallen Hall]

The beaches of Normandy and the US Cemetery are closed also in case you and/or yours are abroad. 

http://nation.foxnews.com/2013/10/03/obama-shuts-down-d-day-beaches-cemetery-normandy

On Wed, Oct 2, 2013 at 9:16 AM, namfos <mark....@gmail.com> wrote:

I have to wonder though if NPS was able to deploy enough staff yesterday to close access to the likes of Violettes, Swains, Pennyfield locks and further upstream. Harpers Ferry has a significant NPS presence so that's probably closed but I have not idea about farther afield.

Mark

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[Ed]

On Wednesday, October 2, 2013 9:16:36 AM UTC-4, namfos wrote:

I have to wonder though if NPS was able to deploy enough staff yesterday to close access to the likes of Violettes, Swains, Pennyfield locks and further upstream. Harpers Ferry has a significant NPS presence so that's probably closed but I have not idea about farther afield.

Mark

 I was up that way ( in Seneca) last weekend.  The parking lots at Violettes, and Rileys lock are all blocked off.   That of course is not stopping people from parking on the side of the road before the gate and walking in.  At Pennyfield the parking lot nearest the canal is blocked off but the further one is not.  IF you look on the NPS website it says these areas are all closed to the public.  That doesn't seem to be stopping people though.  

                 - Ed

[namfos]

"The People" will not be denied. ;-)

Mark

[Jack Kelly]

Has anyone been by Swains this week?

[Carl Z.]

I drove home via canal road and the entrance is blocked off at the top. You could walk or bike in, but it is obvious that the parking areas are closed.

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