Government Shutdown Halts Fall Foliage Program, Yellowstone Trees Remain Green
Park Service Says No Staff Available to “Apply Seasonal Color Adjustments”
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — As the federal shutdown enters its third week, National Park Service officials confirmed Tuesday that the annual Fall Foliage Program has been suspended, leaving Yellowstone’s valleys stuck in midsummer green.
“Normally by October our crews would be halfway up the trees with buckets of amber,” said NPS spokesperson Dana Keller. “But with nonessential staff furloughed, there’s no one left to mix pigments or climb ladders.”
Visitors expressed confusion. “My kids keep asking why it’s not fall yet,” said Butte resident Aaron Vega. “I don’t know what to tell them. It’s October.”
Over the weekend, volunteers tried tossing powdered turmeric from Lake Overlook Trail. Rangers halted the effort within hours.
“We appreciate the spirit,” Keller said. “But we can’t have amateur yellows in a national park.”
