Across Utah’s “Mighty 5,” the state has stepped in to keep parks operating during Washington’s latest shutdown. It’s a reminder that when partisan gridlock closes the government, it’s often the parks — and the people who love them — that pay the price. While imperfect, President Donald Trump’s decision to use entrance fees to sustain basic park operations points in the right direction. But if we truly want to insulate our parks from political dysfunction, we should go a step further.

By expanding park revenue through user fees and giving park superintendents greater flexibility to deploy those fees, we can free our parks altogether of the acrimonious congressional appropriations process and shield them from government shutdown drama entirely.

Shutdowns expose a deeper flaw in how we fund

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