Our Parks and the Government Shutdown - day 27, w/Tara Ross (Episode 44)

Send us Fan MailDay 27 of the federal government shutdown. Parks are technically open. But behind the scenes: rangers working without pay guarantees, evidence from criminal investigations stuck because government credit cards are frozen, snow tires that can't be changed, nonprofit reserves being burned through.Retired NPS law enforcement ranger Tara Ross — who spent most of her career at Yellowstone — joins The Parks Podcast for a frank insider update on what's actually happening in our parks right now.Note: Recorded October 24, 2025 — information reflects conditions at that time.In this episode: — Why "the parks look fine" is a Potemkin Village — what visitors see vs. what's happening backstage — Snow tires and crime labs: two real examples of shutdown chaos in Yellowstone — Why some parks appear more open than others — FLREA funds, state subsidies, nonprofit support — The Ambler Road project — 211 miles through one of the last intact roadless wilderness areas in the US — What's still happening to public lands even while the government is shut down — How to recreate responsibly right now: self-sufficient, no garbage cans, respect all closures — Crime Off the Grid podcast — and what's coming upLinks mentioned: — Crime Off the Grid: crimeoffthegrid.com — NPCA: npca.orgSupport the show