WASHINGTON— The Trump administration announced Tuesday that it would keep most national parks open with “skeleton crews” during the government shutdown, putting America’s prized national parks — and the countless people who visit them — in harm’s way.

The majority of the National Park Service’s roughly 16,000 employees, including park rangers, have been placed on furlough starting today. More than 35 former park superintendents last week urged the Trump administration to keep national parks closed, saying the lands could be damaged because of insufficient staffing.

“Keeping our national parks open after Trump and Republicans forced a government shutdown is stupid, short-sighted and incredibly dangerous,” said Stephanie Kurose, deputy director of government affairs at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ve seen the irreparable harm that can happen when our parks go understaffed. Vandalism, trash and human waste will tarnish natural treasures that are the envy of the world. But apparently nothing says ‘Make America Great Again’ like turning Yosemite into one giant toilet.”

During the 2018-2019 government shutdown, the Trump administration also kept national parks open to the public. Without enough park rangers to supervise visitors and enforce rules, Joshua trees in California were chopped down to make room for campsites, people illegally drove off-road vehicles across dry lake beds in Death Valley National Park, and trash and human waste spread across Yosemite.

“Our national parks have already suffered enough because of Trump’s mass layoffs of federal workers,” said Kurose. “This reckless decision could wreak havoc on many of the irreplaceable places we love.”

Under Trump’s plan, recreation and park fees would pay for limited staff to remain at certain national parks, despite the Government Accountability Office finding this practice to be unlawful.