Statement on the Effects of Sequestration at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Date: April 29, 2013
Contact: Superintendent

KIMBERLY, OR - Effective March 1, 2013, John Day Fossil Beds National Monument was required by "sequestration" (a series of automatic, across-the-board permanent spending cuts) to reduce its annual budget by five percent.The park must absorb that cut in the remaining months of this fiscal year that ends September 30.The federal law imposing sequestration requires that each park take this cut.

For John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, this amounts to a reduction of approximately $80,000 from a budget of $1,600,000. The park reduced travel, training, and supply purchases and reduced the number of seasonal and permanent employees to meet the required spending reduction. Reduction in permanent employees was achieved by not filling a vacant position.

While we take the actions necessary to comply with sequestration, the park remains open, welcoming visitors and continuing to protect the resources entrusted to our care.

Reduced staffing will affect visitor services in the following ways:

• The Thomas Condon Visitor Center will be closed for approximately 30 days this summer.The Center will be closed Mondays from June through September, and a few additional days during the summer months when adequate staffing is not possible. Please check the monument's webpage (www.nps.gov/joda) for closure dates in advance of your visit. The visitor center will remain open on Monday September 9^th to accommodate Cycle Oregon visitors to the John Day region.
   
• Starting May 1, the Visitor Center will open at 10:00 am instead of 9:00 am; closing at 5:00 pm as in past years.
   
• The historic Cant Ranch home and museum will be closed on weekends.It will generally be open Monday - Thursday and most Fridays from 9am - 4pm, depending on staffing availability.
   
• Education programs for school groups will be reduced by 80%.Reservations for schools that were scheduled by March 1 will be honored, but no additional reservations will be taken. Other school groups are welcome to tour the park without a formal National Park Service program.

About the National Park Service. More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 401 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.