The Department of the Interior expects to furlough most of the 20,000 park workers. Some states, including Arizona, plan to use their own funds to keep sites open.
People, businesses and towns relying on park tourism worry the fourth shutdown in a decade could crush them if congress can’t reach a deal to keep the government running.
Uranium extraction had already been restricted in the area, which Native tribes consider sacred, but the moratorium was set to expire in 2032. Mr. Biden’s designation will make it permanent.