Budget Cuts Mean A Delay in Opening Yellowstone This Spring

Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk says sequestration means a budget cut of $1.75 million to the park's $35 million dollar budget for the remainder of the fiscal year. Wenk says the biggest impact of the cuts will be delaying snow plowing operations by two weeks, which will delay the opening most of the park's entrances this spring.

Wenk says the West entrance of the park will open April 26th instead of April 19th. The East entrance on May 17th instead of May 3rd. The South entrance will open on May 24th instead of May 10th. The Northeast entrance of the park will also open on May 24th. Wenk says after that they will begin plowing the Beartooth Highway which is scheduled to open June 14th.

Wenk says the park plans also include not filling vacancies and hiring fewer seasonal employees as well as cutting training and some contracts.