Annie Knox

A high-ranking official from the U.S. Department of the Interior touched down in Salt Lake City this week to meet behind closed doors with leaders from the state, Utah’s national parks and their surrounding communities.

The group of 60 spoke Monday about the future of the parks with Karen Budd-Falen, the associate deputy interior secretary. They discussed how the state will help in any future government shutdowns, the timed entry reservation program at Arches National Park and the rollout of a new plan to charge higher fees from international visitors, among other issues, two state officials said.

They described the all-day session as a brainstorm, with no commitments made. Regardless of any immediate results, the discussion provided local and state leaders a direct line

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