With some public spaces being closed or restricted due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, the status of parks remains more tenuous. Last week, for instance, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy closed state and county parks.
An article by Caroline Fassett about the closings noted that it didn’t apply to national parks. Fassett wrote that some national parks “have closed facilities but remain open for passive recreation.” Readers might find themselves wondering just what the consequences of “passive recreation” might be — and it turns out that has been a concern for some within the National Park Service as well.
Writing at Adventure Journal, Adam Federman has the details on an alarming memo sent by the epidemiology branch chief of the NPS Office of Public Health on April 3. The recommendations include restricting access to parks and putting a temporary stop to “dormitory-like housing.”
The memo takes a stark tone when describing the consequences of not being proactive in taking steps to stop COVID-19:
… leaving our parks open to the public when social distancing is not being practiced, onboarding employees originating from throughout the country and world, and permitting significant shared housing environments will result in a significantly greater burden of disease and death than if we had taken the proactive measure to continue to close these parks and/or limit operations.
As Federman writes, the NPS response to the ongoing crisis has been varied; some parks have been closed, while others remain open. A few have even seen significant increases in visitors, an alarming trend given the circumstances. The country’s national parks contain plenty of amazing vistas and soothing nature — but visiting them should not be a reason to put anyone’s health at risk.
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