I was very sad to hear that another major problem which is hitting the US national parks under the shutdown is straightforward vandalism and destructiveness - cutting down and damaging trees and other features.

I heard a thought that we should bundle some of the garbage up, package it, and then send it to trump.

Most of the deep woods campers are pretty good about clean up. But, likewise, I've noticed the majority of campers who stay closer to civilization are slobs and act like the places are hotels with limited room service.

When they said the parks would stay open, I was surprised. Cops are probably busier around them. Here in Gettysburg the bathrooms are closed (No big deal in this tourist burg) and a local friends of the park group is organizing to dump trash and clean up. I'll refrain from cynicism as the members really do care about the history, even as their sponsors are local businesses.

Garbage and Feces -- otherwise known as the president and vice-president of the USA.

It's a true representation of these times.

I remember my first hiking in this country after coming from Canada. I couldn't believe the garbage strewn around.

Heck... Trump will probably end up leasing the parks out to the oil and gas companies anyway. Garbage and feces will be the last of your worries then! I cannot believe they left the parks open!

I routinely gear up with my NoCry™ gloves and a large garbage bad and patrol my street and the alley behind it. I pick up and bag litter. Kids (or adults) like to park in the alley, drink their beer and then toss the empties into the alley. Not behind my house; I turn the floodlights on them. Anyway, the most common items of litter are beer cans and bottles, airplane vodka bottles, and Jehovah Witnesses religious tracks. I also live fairly close to a McDonalds, so that stuff is often tossed out of the window into the street. Having said all of that, this community and area is much better with regards to not littering than any other place I have lived. The biggest source of litter, however, is the wind, which sometimes blows at near hurricane force when the chinook comes down the mountain.

They should have been locked down as much as possible.

Yuck!

I always work on the principle of what I take in I take out, as regards "solid human waste" then well away from sensitive areas and bury if no other alternative is available! Too many people are too lazy!