Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear needs more information to determine if funding the Commonwealth’s federal parks during the partial government shutdown is a feasible plan.
The comments from the Governor’s office come as the Obama administration has allowed states to use their own money to reopen some national parks.
Governors in at least four states have asked for authority to reopen national parks within their borders. Governor Beshear’s Communications Director Kerri Richardson says Beshear needs more information regarding future federal reimbursement and the level at which the facilities could be reopened before deciding on reopening federal parks like Mammoth Cave and Land Between the Lakes.
Interior Department spokesman Blake Androff tells the Associated Press the government does not plan to reimburse states that pay to reopen parks. 401 national parks are closed furloughing more than 20-thousand park employees.
