The United States federal government shutdown became effective January 20th after legislation to fund government agencies and operations failed to pass due to disputes over an immigration policy. Dinosaur National Monument announced Saturday that due to the federal government shutdown, the Quarry and Visitors Center are now closed until further notice. Roads within Dinosaur National Monument will remain open but they will not be plowed. The announcement posted on social media stated that law enforcement will continue to protect the park and the public. Utah’s Governor Gary Herbert announced on Friday that if a shutdown occurs, the state will continue operations as normal because state support will allow government function in the short term. The Governor’s Office also clarified that while WIC funding had been affected during the last shutdown, the current administration has allowed Utah to use reserves to keep WIC functioning. The largest state organization affected is the Utah National Guard where critical functions will continue but 1,300 full-time employees who are not active duty are affected and drills will be cancelled as well.
