‘Almost a spiritual experience’: How one Utah community is supporting furloughed park rangers

Over 100 park rangers and community members shared hugs and a warm pasta dinner in Springdale on Thursday evening. For some of Zion National Park’s furloughed park rangers, it was the first time they had seen their colleagues since the federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1.

“We saw a lot of emotion on a lot of people’s faces last night,” said Natalie Britt, the CEO of Zion Forever Project. “The level of gratitude, the way that filled the room, was almost a spiritual experience to me.”

Zion Forever, the national park’s nonprofit partner, quickly threw together the private event, called “Standing with Our Rangers,” as it began hearing about rangers’ financial woes. Nearly two-thirds of national park staff across the country have been furloughed since the federal government shutdown began on Oct. 1, according to the Park Service’s shutdown plan.

“When you start hitting a month into a shutdown, that’s two payrolls,” said Britt. “Folks are starting to feel the impacts.”

In response, Zion Forever and the community surrounding the park have rallied to support the park rangers. Zion Forever organized the event, but numerous local businesses and community groups donated to help make it happen.

Staff at Zion Canyon Brew Pub, a restaurant frequented by park rangers, volunteered to cook the hot meal. A local gas station donated vouchers so rangers could fill up their cars. Zion Animal Lovers offered help with pet care. Sol Foods donated certificates to the grocery store.

The list of donors goes on, including local hotels, the towns of Springdale and Rockville and even individuals who dropped off packs of toilet paper and laundry detergent.

“These businesses exist because Zion is here,” Britt said. “And I think when the park needs the businesses, the businesses always show up here to support the park. It’s a mutually beneficial, wonderful relationship.”

Beyond meeting basic food and household needs, the partners also hoped to foster a sense of community during a challenging time.

“Bringing everybody there to have a big meal together, it was actually really touching and emotional to see these people and the stress and the concern that everybody has,” said Jolene Pace, owner of Zion Canyon Brew Pub.

Many of Zion’s park rangers live in the towns throughout Washington County. “Our kids go to school together. They pray together. They see each other at baseball events or playing pickleball,” Britt said. “So this was really a place of fellowship, and I think a gathering like this was able to boost spirits.”

Britt said Zion Forever Project and community partners plan to continue organizing community gatherings and providing resources to meet rangers’ basic needs.

This includes mental health support. Last year, the nonprofit piloted a wellness fund, which covers counseling for park employees at the Springdale Clinic. The nonprofit announced on Friday that it received additional financial support for this initiative from the Sun-Blaney family, which has set up the Isabel’s Light Employee Wellness Fund in honor of their daughter who loved the park.

Britt thinks interest in mental health resources will only increase as the shutdown weighs on rangers. “This is a very stressful time,” she said. “We’re going into one month, the second longest shutdown in federal history. I think we’re all assuming this will probably go the longest, and we have to be aware that we’re moving very quickly into the holiday season.”

People can donate and leave a note for rangers on Zion Forever’s website. “Rangers have shared with us how wonderful it is to be able to hear from people,” Pace said, “and to be able to get that support.”