Parks will close if gov't shuts down

BROWN COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - The deadline for lawmakers to reach a budget agreement is quickly approaching. If a budget isn’t approved, several government agencies will close and that includes state parks.

24-Hour News 8 spoke with some people who came out to Brown County State Park for the day and others who had hoped to stay the entire week.

April Grande and her cousins had plans to stay at the park the rest of the week. They found out after arriving at the park Sunday that it could close Tuesday night.

"Yes, that vicious rumor, I have heard it and it did not make me happy," said Grande.

It's not making anyone at the park particularly happy. People in a camper stopped at the park briefly to shower on a cross-country trip. They said they'd be unhappy to see the park shut down even if it weren't for long.

"Oh for sure yeah this is great," aid John Clare, a park visitor.

The possibility of a park shutdown doesn't just bring sadness, it brings questions.

Grande said, "Honestly, I don't know. I mean, what exactly would be involved? Would everybody just have to leave?"

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources which runs the state's parks has been meeting to come up with a plan in case it does have to shut down the parks.

A DNR spokesperson told News 8 people who have already paid to reserve camping spots would get their money back in the event of a shutdown.

In the meantime, the DNR is waiting to hear what happens at the Statehouse between now and midnight Tuesday. And they aren’t alone.

"I don't know. They all got a point to make. So I wouldn't put anything past 'em. And maybe it would be a good thing if they let it go. So people would think about it. Everybody runs around not thinking too much about it. It might be a good thing, for a day or two," said Park visitor Steve Barnes.

DNR spokesperson Phil Bloom told News 8 Monday the department remains "confident" the legislature will come up with a budget and the parks will remain "fully operational."