Appeals grow to close US national parks during pandemic

[iamk]

There is a possibility national parks will close imminently during the pandemic, which affects my current travel planning.

These news articles are helping me. Maybe they will help you too:
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/appeals-grow-to-close-us-national-parks-during-pandemic1
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/tag/health/coronavirus/coronavirus-in-arizona

A few quotes form the article that were relevant to my Arizona travel plans:

In Arizona, local governments and the Navajo Nation were waiting for an answer Thursday on their request earlier this week for federal officials to shut down Grand Canyon National Park as cases of the coronavirus grow in surrounding areas.

In the Southwest, local health officials for Arches and Canyonlands national parks also urged the park service Thursday to shut down those sites.

The National Park Service is deciding whether to shut down individual sites on a park-by-park basis, in consultation with state and local health officials, Nicholas Goodwin, a spokesman for Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, said Thursday.

Despite orders barring out-of-town residents from staying overnight, hundreds of visitors are still coming to the parks, said Bradon Bradford with the Southeast Utah Health Department. That puts park staff at risk of infection, especially when shortages have left them unable to get items they need to keep the restrooms sanitized, he said.

 

[Qxxx]

This page indicates infection rates are higher in counties with high recreational activity, includes a map.

https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-c...omies-show-higher-infection-rates/2020/03/25/

 

[highdesertranger]

the silver lining is the parks will be there when this blows over. highdesertranger

 

[ByeBye]

Time for remote camping for me, for several reasons.

 

[trailer-t]

They closed the Shawnee National forest campgrounds in So. Illinois this past Monday.
I was down there 2 days earlier on Saturday to check on some possible sites and there was not a soul in the
3 campgrounds I checked --except me--no one even driving through.

 

[iamk]

BLM ARIZONA COVID-19 UPDATES
https://www.blm.gov/alert/az-covid-19-updates

This part caught my eye:

Currently, BLM-managed lands in Arizona are open, including campgrounds, day-use areas, and trails. Existing rules and regulations apply. Entrance and day use fees have been waived. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use, and use of special areas will remain in effect. BLM lands remain available for dispersed camping and other outdoor recreation activities, unless otherwise prohibited.

 

[wayne49]

Here is Nevada's info.

https://www.blm.gov/alert/blm-nevada-covid-19-information

Visitors may continue to enjoy BLM-managed public lands in a safe and responsible manner. We recommend visiting areas close to home while avoiding very popular or crowded locations where social distancing may be difficult and limiting group activities to members of your household. Please note that existing rules and regulations apply. Entrance fees have been waived. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use, and use of special areas will remain in effect.

BLM Nevada COVID-19 Information

Continuing our service to the public while doing our part to address COVID-19 is very important. You may continue to enjoy BLM-managed public lands. The health and safety of staff and visitors is our number one priority. Following guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, BLM Nevada is temporarily changing some of our operations and services in the state.

The following BLM recreation facilities in southern Nevada are temporarily closed until further notice:

Sand Mountain Recreation Area (Carson City District)
Winnemucca Sand Dunes (Winnemucca District)
California Trail Center (Elko)
Southern Nevada
The Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive and Visitor Center
Sloan Canyon parking area and visitor contact station
Red Rock Overlook
Late Night Trailhead
Red Spring picnic area and boardwalk
All campsites at the Red Rock Campground

 

[crofter]

This page indicates infection rates are higher in counties with high recreational activity, includes a map.

https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-c...omies-show-higher-infection-rates/2020/03/25/

Lot left to the imagination on that map. Also shows southern Wyoming and Elko NV area as having cases of contagion. Both are very low population high plains areas. Makes no sense to me, also what are all those grey areas in Cali and AZ?  Those must be the grey areas. Oh. 
-crofter

 

[Oldwolf]

I was planning to do Spring camping with my new-to-me van but have had to reformulate my plans. All of our lovely State Parks are closed to camping. Camping in National Forests is not allowed now either. So, will have to wait it out like the rest of you. But,I am grateful I still have my job and health. Many others are not so fortunate.

 

[Qxxx]

Lot left to the imagination on that map. Also shows southern Wyoming and Elko NV area as having cases of contagion. Both are very low population high plains areas. Makes no sense to me, also what are all those grey areas in Cali and AZ?  Those must be the grey areas. Oh. 
-crofter

The grey areas are metro areas, crofter. I'm not sure what population is considered to be the dividing line, but it's probably mentioned somewhere on the website. Eg, you can see that the entire area from Ashland to Seattle (except for just south of Eugene) has population densities above what they consider to rural.

 

[wayne49]

The map is only showing details for non-urban areas.
If one looks at the detail for each red zone, many have just one case.
Not all of the zones of infection with a case are primary recreational use.
The deep red areas make it look scarier than it is.

Elko County's main economic activity is listed as Mining.

Wyoming's red zones are major ski resort areas.

Interestingly, if one is familiar with "The American Redoubt" movement centered in the Kalispell, MT area, where some people are gathering to be safe from civil unrest, etc. That county has four cases.

 

[wayne49]

The red areas are Recreation counties that have their first case(s). That's why the counts were low.
The map I was looking at was from March 24, they have a newer one dated March 26.

 

[Qxxx]

Lot left to the imagination on that map. Also shows southern Wyoming and Elko NV area as having cases of contagion. Both are very low population high plains areas. Makes no sense to me, also what are all those grey areas in Cali and AZ?  Those must be the grey areas. Oh. 
-crofter

Yeah, actually looking at that other map again, it is rather confusing what exactly the grey areas are. However, this map shows a better distinction between metro and rural. And these are "counties", so in some cases, they contain cities but also extend way out into the boonies, like San Bernardino county which extends all the way to the AZ state line. And like wayne said, some of those areas might have only one case. I guess the main value of the map is showing rural areas with "no" cases.

https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-coronavirus-cases-increase-grow-by-28-in-past-day/2020/03/27/

 

[Qxxx]

https://www.dailyyonder.com/rural-coronavirus-cases-increase-grow-by-28-in-past-day/2020/03/27/

I hope you looked at that new map crofter. On my laptop browser, I can cursor over individual counties in each state, and get the number of cases. It's a little behind on numbers but you can get the basics. Stay away from the big cities.

One problem with the daily maps, on the bunch of sites, is that they don't show the trends. Eg, they don't show how the number in Michigan jumped up by a whopping 1000 cases to 4500 in just the past couple of days. However the FT page posted by AlvinDude is best for seeing overall trends. Unfortunately, the US is nowhere near the inflection point on the curves.

https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest