Joshua trees cut down by vandals during government shutdown

Emily Douce, of the National Parks Conservation Association, told Vox that now-former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke ordered to keep the national parks open during the shutdown to avoid the same criticism from 2013's shutdown.

• The Obama administration was heavily criticized by Republicans and those living in towns that depend on revenue from park tourism during the government shutdown in 2013.
• Yes, but: "The contingency plan is rather concise and vague, operations are not actually able to support the influx of tourists."

Go deeper:

• National parks overflow with trash amid government shutdown
• National Park Service to tap into entrance fees to fund operations
• Three people have died in national parks since the shutdown began