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Battle Over the
Budget: The Effects in West Texas;
Closing Creates Texas-Sized Detour
By ERIC O’KEEFE
Published: January 4, 1996
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Tom Buck's long-haul
delivery route has become longer, and leaner, with the Federal shutdown.
Mr. Buck normally drives about 70,000 miles a year for Basin Candy and
Tobacco, delivering Marlboros, M&M's and Snickers bars to accounts
across four West Texas counties that are among the state's largest and
least populated.
But the closing in mid-December of Big Bend National Park as part of
the shutdown means he can no longer drive through the park, the southernmost
part of his route. And more important, the vending machines and grocery
shelves in the park operated by National Park Concessions Inc., an important
customer, have not needed restocking in almost a month.
Brewster County, in which the park is situated, has two north-south
highways, vital thoroughfares for ranchers, tourists and businessmen
like Mr. Buck. At their southern ends, the two connect via an east-west
park road.
With Big Bend closed, the 53-mile trip from Study Butte on the park's
western edge to Persimmon Gap at its northern entrance requires a 150-mile
detour through Alpine, the county seat.
Until now, Mr. Buck's only hope had been a resolution of the budget
dispute in Washington. But late this afternoon, the Brewster County
government agreed to join in a lawsuit filed by several local businesses
who have concessions in the park. In an emergency session Judge Val
Beard, the county executive, had requested her fellow county commissioners
to join with the businesses in the suit against the National Park Service.
Judge Beard noted that unlike many other national parks, Big Bend was
conveyed to the Federal Government by the State of Texas, and that some
unusual stipulations were associated with the transfer of title, including
one that public roads must be kept open. The judge contends that the
stipulations must be followed without exception.
Judge Lucius Bunton of the United States District Court for the Western
District of Texas issued a temporary restraining order on Dec. 29 that
prohibited the park service from preventing access to park roads by
the concessionaires who were party to the lawsuit.
At a hearing on Monday, Judge Bunton will decide whether a preliminary
injunction should also be granted, which could also open the roads to
Mr. Buck and other businesses not party to the suit.
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