Shutting Down Outdoorsmen

“Sorry folks, America’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told you.”

This Facebook meme, posted by Chevy Chase with John Candy’s image from “Family Vacation,” has become a sad reality for most people trying to visit Federal lands. The government shutdown, which began Sept. 30 as current funding expired, has far-reaching effects in the outdoors.

As of Oct. 1, USA.gov states that “every one of America’s national parks and monuments, from Yosemite to the Smithsonian to the Statue of Liberty...