Glacier National Park remains open to visitors during the federal government shutdown, which a former superintendent said could lead to trash pileup, a lack of communication for visitors and limited emergency response operations.

Last month, former Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow joined more than 40 former national park superintendents in signing a letter urging the federal government to close National Park Service sites in the event of a government shutdown.

“Past shutdowns in which gates remained open with limited staff have hurt our parks: Iconic symbols cut down and vandalized, trash piled up, habitats destroyed, and visitor safety jeopardized. If you don’t act now, history is not just doomed to repeat itself, the damage could in fact be much worse,” the letter states.

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