Leaf season coming, All lodging camping etc. along the Blue Ridge Parkway will be shut down

[G_j]

Here in Westen NC, leaf season is one the biggest tourist draws in this part of the state. Our economy depends on tourism. Just one example , of what is coming with the government shutdown..

The Blue Ridge Parkway is America's most visited National Park unit and is known as "America's favorite drive." Its 469 miles connect the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Along the way, the Blue Ridge Parkway offers stunning views of the Blue Ridge mountains, forests, and pastoral landscapes, with abundant hiking trails, picnic areas, campgrounds, and interpretive signage

[RobertEarl]

1. Leaves are turning!

Gonna be a fabulous year.

If the Blue Ridge is shut down to heavy traffic, the bikers and walkers and other wildlife, will have it all to themselves. Hmmm.

That and all the visitors will be stuck in the lower elevations where we can sell them better.

[2naSalit]

2. Tell you what

I live close to Yellowstone NP, which usually stays open until the first week of November, and there are several local communities that are going to be impacted by this as well. There are still a lot of campers there and they will be asked to leave. Understand that since this NP is big and far from large populations this is, for many, a once in a lifetime visit... I hope that those impacted in this way really get pissed an do something about it.

Though the park is surrounded by red states, there are many moderate R's who are looking toward independent candidates for the next few election cycles and beyond in this area. I hope that they elect anyone but repubs too.

[Cha]

3. Wow.. the Gov shutdown would affect the Blue Ridge Parkway!

Well then.. they can thank the republicons in Congress who planned this since early Spring..

The dirty little secret in Washington: the looming shutdown isn't an accident.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023753684

[KamaAina]

4. How exactly do they plan to enforce this?

Let me guess: the people who would have to erect the barriers and/or patrol the parkway are "essential".

[onenote]

5. Slighty misleading

While it is true that all lodges, information centers and campgrounds along the parkway will close, and visiting the Parkway would be much less appealing for many people, the Parkway itself would remain open to traffic.

[G_j]

6. are you sure?

I just heard this on a local radio station.

[onenote]

8. See link below

http://www.wsls.com/story/23570394/blue-ridge-parkway-and-government-shutdown

[G_j]

11. Thank you

I went to their website and called, and could not find anything.

subject line changed

[sufrommich]

7. How will they close the parkway? nt

[onenote]

10. They won't. Just the lodges, attractions etc. along the Parkway

The roadway itself will remain open.

[sufrommich]

12. Oh OK,I misunderstood,thanks. nt

[ohheckyeah]

13. They use barriers to shut down the parkway

during bad weather. Barriers are put up at all of the entrances.

[KamaAina]

15. But who would install them?

The government's shut down, remember?

[ohheckyeah]

16. Good question...

but they aren't shutting it down.

I just meant that's how they do it for bad weather. I assume if they were shutting it down for the government shutdown they would have them put up the barriers before they furloughed them.

[KamaAina]

9. Oh, this is rich. The repuke rep from western NC is the architect of the shutdown startegy.

And guess what parkway runs right through his district?

http://www.hcpress.com/politics/u-s-rep-mark-meadows-sends-letter-to-boehner-cantor-encouraging-house-leadership-to-defund-obamacare.html

U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows (NC 11, which includes Avery County) released the following statement after sending a letter to Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor encouraging them to defund Obamacare through the appropriations process.

“Obamacare is not ready, and the way it is being implemented is not fair,” Meadows said. “By choosing to delay the employer mandate, President Obama demonstrated he knows the law is unworkable. If big businesses get a break, hardworking individuals and families deserve the same relief.

“Today, 79 of my House colleagues joined me in sending a letter to Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor encouraging them to defund Obamacare through the appropriations process. We want House leadership to know they have a large group of Members ready to stand with them to stop the president’s destructive and unaffordable health care law. Despite sending the letter today, I will continue to keep a running list of Members who choose to lend their names to this crucial effort. I am pleased so many of my colleagues have signed on and pledged their commitment to keeping health care decisions between patients and their doctors, not patients and Washington bureaucrats.”

[G_j]

14. Yep

what a disgrace