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The State of Arizona will be footing the bill for the Grand Canyon to stay open through October 27.
The state’s paying $93,000 a day to the National Park Service to keep the park open, and the governor’s office says the state will get a refund if the federal government shutdown were to end.
See also:
–Grand Canyon Open (For Now)
–Grand Canyon’s Bad-Boy Mountain Bikers From ’95 Shutdown
The Washington Post reported this morning that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced a deal that would end the government shutdown.
That bill would have to be passed by both chambers of Congress and get a signature from the president before it becomes official.
The state already arranged to keep the Grand Canyon open for about a week, and that funding expires this weekend, so this new agreement will keep it open through October 27.
According to the governor’s office, this funding is coming from the Arizona Office of Tourism.
Brewer’s office says in a statement, “The State of Arizona will seek support from members of its congressional delegation to authorize federal reimbursement of any state dollars expended to fund park operations during the shutdown.”
Good luck with that. Brewer’s office adds that visitors to national parks in Arizona have spent an average of $2.5 million per day in October in recent years, nearly half of that at Grand Canyon National Park.
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Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
