Statue of Liberty to Remain Open Using National Park Service Fee Revenue and Support from Partners
Park has been open since the beginning of the lapse in appropriations through financial support from the State of New York
New York, NY - - (January 15, 2019) - - Today, the National Park Service (NPS) published the following information:
The National Park Service announced today that Liberty and Ellis Islands will continue to be open to visitors using revenue generated by National Park Service (NPS) recreation fees and support from its partners. Castle Clinton National Monument at Battery Park in Manhattan, where ticketing for ferries to the Statue of Liberty occurs, will also remain open. The parks have been open since the beginning of the lapse in appropriations thanks to a previous donation from the State of New York.
“The Statue of Liberty is a beacon of hope and freedom to this nation and the world,” said Acting Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt. “We share the State of New York’s commitment to ensuring that visitors from around the world may continue to visit Liberty and Ellis Islands and learn more about our nation’s proud history. We greatly appreciate the generous support of our partners at the State of New York who have kept the park open thus far. The National Park Service is prepared to use recreation fee revenue to keep the park open for the foreseeable future.”
The NPS has funds derived from entrance, camping, parking and other fees collected from park visitors. The Department of the Interior has determined that these funds can and should be used to provide immediate assistance and services to parks during the lapse in appropriations.
The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, a long-time partner of the NPS, has generously donated additional funds to cover the costs of employees not eligible to be covered under the fee collection funds.
“We are pleased that remaining open will allow not only our federal employees but the nearly 500 non-government employees in the park to continue working together to provide an enjoyable and memorable experience for our visitors from across the nation and from around the globe”, said Superintendent John Piltzecker.
The statue of “Liberty Enlightening the World" was a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States and is recognized as a universal symbol of freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886. It was designated as a National Monument in 1924. Employees of the National Park Service have been caring for the colossal copper statue since 1933.
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