Nev. won’t spend state funds to open federal parks

LAS VEGAS — Gov. Brian Sandoval says Nevada won’t spend state money to open national parks and federal areas closed due to the federal shutdown.

Sandoval spokeswoman Mary-Sarah Kinner said Thursday that Nevada already faces critical funding decisions on dozens of programs affecting hundreds of thousands of state residents, including food stamps, unemployment insurance and aid to women, infants and children.

Governors in some states including Utah have said they’ll take the Obama administration up on an offer to use their own states’ money to reopen some shuttered national parks.

Kinner says Nevada state parks are open, but the state can’t afford to pay for operations at federal parks right now.

Lake Mead National Recreation Area and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area near Las Vegas are among federal areas that are closed.