'Ding' Darling visitors relieved as national parks stay open amid government shutdown

Given the general lack of faith in government, the unexpected news that J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge was open to the public Saturday came as a welcome relief to visitors.

Unlike during the last federal government shutdown in 2013, when national parks were closed, only visitors centers and other amenities staffed by federal employees were shuttered nationwide starting midnight Friday because of the impasse.

At "Ding" Darling, the four-mile road through the refuge opened as scheduled Saturday at 7 a.m.

By low tide at 9 a.m., staff from Tarpon Bay Explorers, the licensed contractor for "Ding" Darling, had checked in dozens of visitors in cars, on foot and on bicycles.

“I’m thrilled, because we were leaving to go home tomorrow,” said Judy Florence, a regular visitor from outside Toronto. “We were thrilled it was still open.”

Uncertain themselves how or whether the shutdown might proceed, refuge staff was anticipating a full closure until Friday, when federal officials announced that only some services nationally would be shuttered.

“The parks will be open,” said Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney. “The way it works is that the parks are open, but the — especially if the services are provided by third parties, but things like the trash won't get picked up.”

A sign on the door of the Visitor and Education Center, scheduled to open at 9 a.m., explained that the center would be closed. But the Wildlife Drive, trails and other areas would be open.

“It could have been worse,” said Joe Lambert, visiting Sanibel for five days from Dublin, Ohio. “It could be better. Sadly, we’re used to government incompetence.”

More: Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge to close to up to 3,000 visitors a day if government shuts down

Aiden Flatley, who visits Sanibel from outside Philadelphia about eight weeks a year, was relieved when he arrived at 9 a.m. to find the park was open.

During the last shutdown, which lasted several weeks, Flatley had to fish elsewhere in his kayak, which he wasn't able to do nearly as often as he does at "Ding" Darling.

“It’s wonderful. I’m a happy camper,” Flatley said. “It’s protected. It’s usually consistently good fishing. And it’s beautiful.”

"Ding" Darling attracts up to 3,000 visitors a day at its busiest times, park staff said. Even with the uncertainty of the shutdown and Saturdays generally being slower as check-in and check-out days, Tarpon Bay’s first tram of the morning, at 10 a.m., was nearly full.

“It’s busy this morning,” said Tarpon Bay’s Lewis Irvine. “A lot of people don’t know. A lot of people didn’t know last time. Today it’s doing quite well.”

For a number of visitors, the particulars of who was to blame wasn’t worth broaching.

“It’s everywhere,” said Ireland’s Joe and Geraldine Shannon, bird-watchers setting off on foot with binoculars in hand. “Politics is universal. They can’t agree.”

“America could be great if we could just bury the hatchet and not bury it in each other’s backs,” said Larry Pepper, visiting from Warsaw, Ohio.

“We’ve got everything we need. But both sides have to give up a little. We just have to give up our pettiness and our pride.”

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