"With trees razed and drivers making new roads on normally protected desert land, the damage at Joshua Tree National Park in California may be far worse than imagined, but Park Superintendent David Smith says he can't talk about it.

Faced with growing public outrage over the condition of parks across the country, the National Park Service has decided to muzzle its superintendents and other employees, at least during the partial government shutdown, now in its 19th day.

Joshua Tree will lock its gates at 8 a.m. tomorrow, but the park service says it may reopen by the end of the week after workers have a chance to pick up trash and clean the bathrooms."

Rob Hotakainen reports for Greenwire January 9, 2019. [2]