This reporting is made possible by the Northern Michigan Journalism Project, led by Interlochen Public Radio and Bridge Michigan, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.
EMPIRE — The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s visitors center in Empire is closed because of the federal government shutdown that started Wednesday.
For the first time in six years, the federal government has shut down after a deadlocked Congress failed to pass a funding measure to keep the lights on. Fingers are being pointed across each hall, as neither the Republicans nor the Democrats are close to reaching an agreement.
Meanwhile, state government avoided a shutdown on Wednesday after the state House and state Senate passed a short-term continuation budget.
Certain activities deemed necessary to protect life and property will continue, such as law enforcement and emergency response, which are still available.
In 2018, during the last partial government shutdown, the Trump administration kept a skeleton staff so that visitation could continue, though 68% of the workforce would be furloughed.
Buses full of schoolchildren visiting from throughout Michigan will not have access to park ranger-led educational programming, as they do most years. School trips to Sleeping Bear Dunes are particularly popular during the months of September and October.
The park itself remains open. Visitors can still enjoy the Sleeping Bear Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, popular hiking trails and beaches, and the D.H. Day and Platte River campgrounds, which continue to operate with fee dollars.
Current Sleeping Bear Dunes staff were unable to speak with the media about the shutdown. But, according to former deputy superintendent Tom Ulrich, who retired from the National Park Service two years ago, the park determined during previous government shutdowns that spending fee money to keep campgrounds open does not violate federal law because the money is not allocated by Congress.
Sleeping Bear’s two campgrounds should remain open, with custodial services provided, until they close on schedule later in October. The park’s seven law enforcement rangers and a plumber should also remain on duty to ensure visitor safety. According to Ulrich, the park has determined “they are necessary to protect life, health, safety and property.”
While the Dune Climb and other popular destinations will remain open through the shutdown, bathrooms and trash receptacles will not be emptied or cleaned.
The shutdown will also hamper nonprofit partners that work with the park, including the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, which maintains the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, a popular 22-mile multiuse trail that runs through the lakeshore.
“Unfortunately, because our volunteers are supervised by park staff and many of those staff members are currently furloughed, Friends volunteers are not able to serve at this time,” said Friends Executive Director Laura Ann Johnson.
“We remain hopeful that a budget will be passed soon,” she said. “In the meantime, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is here, continuing our mission to support our extraordinary National Lakeshore.”
