Hot Springs National Park resumes operations

After the 35-day partial shutdown of the federal government ended on Friday, the doors of Hot Springs National Park reopened Monday as staff members began to regroup and assess what needed to be done.

Park Superintendent Laura Miller told The Sentinel-Record Monday the national park was actually quite fortunate compared to others across the country, as far as how it was protected during the shutdown.

"I think we're actually OK, being that a lot of the park is downtown, a lot of businesses were still open," she said. "There were still a lot of people so we had some eyes and ears watching out for us.

"We had a lot of our law enforcement rangers and maintenance still on the grounds making sure things were taken care of. We also had some dedicated volunteers walking the trails every day. We were fortunate to not have any real damage to our natural resources as some other parks did."

On Monday, she said maintenance crews were out opening the campground at Gulpha Gorge and making sure utilities were up and running. Park interpreters were also back ready to work with visitors and give tours, she said.

"The rest of us are all going over the budget, going through payroll and responding to a lot of email," she said.

During the shutdown, the Friends of Hot Springs National Park and other dedicated volunteers took it upon themselves to devise a plan to keep the park clean and keep a record of any possible vandalism that may have taken place while park employees were furloughed.

"I was so impressed to see what all they had done," she said, adding that Friends' President Roxanne Butterfield "had a whole spreadsheet of people who were picking up trash in different areas on different days."

In a statement released Monday by the National Park Service, Miller thanked all who stepped in to take care of the park while it was under little supervision.

"As we begin the work of inspecting buildings and utility systems and bringing park facilities and the Gulpha Gorge campground back into operation, we extend our gratitude to the many volunteers of the Friends of Hot Springs National Park who together donated nearly 50 hours of service to help keep the park clean," Miller said.

"We also thank the city of Hot Springs for assisting with trash collection and removal. We are glad to be part of a community of people who love their national park and are willing to help provide support for the park and our employees during a lapse in appropriations."

Miller also extended a special thank you to the rangers and maintenance staff who remained on duty to maintain the park and protect visitors.

"I can speak on behalf of all of our staff when I say we are happy to be back at work, serving the American people and welcoming visitors to Hot Springs National Park," she said.