The closure of national parks, including Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, has led to more than 300 temporary layoffs in the state, according to the Virginia Workforce Network and the company that runs several hotels in the park.
Delaware North Cos. Parks & Resorts has temporarily laid off 267 employees based in Luray, Va. and 88 employees based at the Peaks of Otter lodge and restaurant in Bedford, Va. The company operates Skyland Resort, Big Meadows Lodge and Lewis Mountain Cabins in Shenandoah National Park.
The layoffs went into effect on Tuesday and warn notices popped up on the Virginia Workforce Network’s website Thursday. The employees will be called back once the shutdown is over, confirms Laura Gray, a spokeswoman for Delaware North.
Delaware North operates national park lodges and campgrounds around the country, including those in some of the United States’ most famous parks: Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon.
The company is working with guests scheduled to stay there during the shutdown to find alternate accommodations and offer refunds, according to Gray.
“Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts is working closely with the National Park Service at the locations where we operate as a result of the government shutdown,” said Gray. “We hope for a quick resolution to this unfortunate situation.”
