The Tolls of the Sequester on Travel Start to Add Up

A Great Blue Heron flies past the dunes of Padre Island National Seashore

 Bloomberg News had an excellent piece last week spelling out some of the tangible results for travelers of the sequester cuts. They're now set to include:

• Grand Canyon: The visitor's center will be open two fewer hours come summer, back-country permits will take longer to process, and lines at the entrance to the park will stretch longer thanks to fewer staff checking in visitors. In addition, the park has had to trim back on the number of times a day facilities such as restrooms and campgrounds will be cleaned. 
• Acadia National Park in Maine: Will delay its opening; check the website for new dates
• Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts: Is planning a delayed opening and/or more limited hours for visitors
• Padre Island National Seashore, Texas: Will trim the number of patrolmen, which could endanger the sea turtles that lay eggs here (rangers often transfer the eggs to incubators to protect them).
• Biscayne National Park, Florida: Has cancelled its educational camps through September.
• Yosemite National Park, California: Fewer ranger led programs are planned than usual, and some may be eliminated altogether. 
• The National Archives: Will be reducing evening hours.

In addition, the Associated Press is reporting that the sequestration could force the closing of control towers at five, smaller airports in Oregon. That decision is expected later today. These are 5 of the 173 smaller airports that could be shuttered by the sequestration, according to a report in Consumerist.com.

Stay tuned!