Colorado Gov. Jared Polis issued an executive order Thursday to try to keep Colorado’s four national parks and other federal lands open during the federal government shutdown that is likely to begin at 12:01 Sunday morning, directing a state agency to identify potential funds to sustain operations.

The efforts to keep national parks open still require permission from the U.S. Department of the Interior, which announced Friday that most of its parks will be closed, their gates locked and employees furloughed.

Polis’ executive order directs the state’s Department of Natural Resources to develop a plan for continued operations and “resource protection” of national parks and other federal lands within Colorado.

He tasked the department with working with his budget office to identify potential funding needed for those operations, as well as to consult with the National Park Service and Interior.

A federal agency’s announcement Friday left the door open for states, local or tribal governments, cooperating associations or other third parties to come up with the money to keep the parks open, so long as they don’t expect the federal government to pay it back.

Colorado’s national parks were officially closed during the last government shutdown, which lasted 35 days and went from December 2018 to January 2019.

The shutdown is all but certain to begin Sunday after House Republicans failed to garner enough votes to pass a last-ditch spending resolution Friday.

“Colorado’s beautiful national parks belong to the American people and help support our local communities and economy,” Polis said in a statement Thursday. “The closure of the national parks and other federal lands would hurt state and local economies, small businesses and park employees.”

“My action today will help ensure national parks and federal lands will remain open through a potential shutdown and protects Colorado from the damage closing the parks would have.”

Last year, more than 5.5 million people traveled to Colorado to visit its national parks, spending more than $695 million, according to the governor’s office.

In response to questions about whether the governor’s office had sought permission to keep the parks open and whether the state expects to be paid back for those costs, spokesperson Katherine Jones said the governor is “evaluating every way of reducing the impact a potential federal government shutdown would have on Coloradans and that includes keeping the National Parks open.”

“We are currently working on that plan, in discussions with the Department of the Interior, and expect to have more details in the near future,” Jones added.

Polis’ action is similar to actions taken this week by Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who also want to keep national parks open in their states.

The Associated Press reported that Hobbs will use her state’s lottery funds to keep national parks open.

Meanwhile, Cox said in a statement Thursday that his state has identified shortterm funding options to keep Utah’s five national parks and additional federal recreation areas open with limited operations, similar to how Utah kept its national parks open during the 2013 and 2018-19 federal shutdowns.

“As with past shutdowns, this plan still requires permission from the Secretary of Interior, and the secretary has not yet said she will allow the parks to remain open,” Cox said.

Cox’s statement said Utah’s economy would take a $7.1 million hit per day from closure of their five national parks.

AP reported that Cox wants his state’s coffers paid back for keeping the parks open.

“We expect to be reimbursed, just as federal employees receive back pay during a shutdown, and we have communicated this to the Department of Interior,” Cox said this week.

But Interior’s statement Friday made it clear it will not reimburse those costs.

“Subject to the approval of the (National Park Service) Director, parks may enter into non-reimbursable arrangements with state, local or tribal governments, cooperating associations, and/or other third parties for donations to fund the full operation of an individual park site or of specified services that clearly benefit the park and public by providing enhanced visitor health, protection and safety,” the federal agency said.

During the last shutdown, roads to enter Rocky Mountain National Park were closed and unplowed, but volunteers with the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Conservancy operated phones at the Fall River Visitor Center to keep callers informed about what was available.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-wyo., said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has the authority to order parks to remain open in the event of a government shutdown under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.

Barasso sent Haaland a letter on Sept. 20, pleading with her to use her authority under the law to keep the parks open.

“FLREA authorizes you to retain funds from the collection of fees and to use those funds for various purposes, including visitor access and services, public health and safety, and law enforcement related to public use and recreation,” Barrasso said.

“In previous years, it has been demonstrated that these funds can be successfully utilized to keep public lands open during a lapse in appropriations. During the December 2018-January 2019 shutdown, most of the national parks remained accessible to visitors because FLREA funds were available to cover costs associated with visitor services and law enforcement,” he added.

The Government Accounting Office disagreed, stating in September 2019 that use of FLREA funds for paying national parks operations expenses is illegal.

In its legal opinion, the agency said, “With this decision, we will consider such violations in the future to be knowing and willful violations” of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act.