Berliner to U.S. Interior Secretary: Open Glen Echo Park

Fourteen days into the federal government's shutdown, with Glen Echo Park—a national park—still closed, Montgomery County Councilman Roger Berliner wrote to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell asking for the park to be re-opened.

"Among many other damaging consequences, the shutdown has been totally disruptive for our country’s most prized national parks," Berliner wrote.

"I was pleased to read over the weekend that a number of national parks will soon be reopening to the public as a result of arrangements your Department has made with individual states. In light of that positive development, I urge you to immediately give Glen Echo Park in Montgomery County, Maryland, the same consideration," Berliner continued.

Glen Echo Park is run by a public-private partnership and receives no federal funding, Berliner wrote. It runs on a "very tight budget," and "over a two-day weekend alone, Glen Echo officials estimate that lost revenue totals $67,000. We cannot allow this to continue," he added.

Glen Echo Park has canceled or relocated all activities and events held within its boundaries, according to its website.

The Adventure Theatre Musical Theater Center, a nonprofit located at the park, has had to cancel performances of Goodnight Moon at the park, Rockville Patch reported.

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