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• Governors of Arizona, South Dakota and Colorado have made similar requests to reopen some or all of their parks.
• A spokesman for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said the Republican governor is committed to finding a way to reopen the Grand Canyon, one of the state's most important economic engines
• "It's not ideal, but if there's something we can do to help reopen it, Gov. Brewer has been committed to trying to find that way," said spokesman Andrew Wilder.
• Brewer and state legislative leaders have said they would make state funding available, but "the state cannot pay the federal government's bills indefinitely," Wilder said. Businesses outside the Grand Canyon have pledged $400,000.
• October is a peak month for tourism in Arizona and other parts of the West.
• In South Dakota, a spokesman said Gov. Dennis Daugaard is considering the government's offer, but wants to see how much it would cost. Daugaard, a Republican, "appreciates the federal government's willingness to evaluate other options," said Dusty Johnson, Daugaard's chief of staff. "When we get the numbers, he'll consider it more fully."
• Herbert, also a Republican, said in a letter Tuesday to President Barack Obama that the shutdown of national parks has been "devastating" to individuals and businesses that rely on park operations for their livelihood. Utah is home to five national parks, including Zion, Bryce and Arches, which attract visitors from around the world.
• "The current federally mandated closure is decimating the bottom line of bed-and-breakfast business owners and operators in Torrey (Utah), outfitters at Bryce Canyon City and restaurant owners in Moab," Herbert wrote.
• He estimated the economic impact of the federal government shutdown on Utah at about $100 million.
• Androff said the Interior Department will consider agreements with governors who "indicate an interest and ability to fully fund National Park Service personnel to re-open national parks in their states."
• Decisions about which parks to reopen and for how long have not been made, Androff said. All 401 park service units nationwide are eligible for state donations, Androff said.
• Figures compiled by a coalition of retired park service workers indicate that some 700,000 people a day would have been visiting the parks and that the surrounding areas are losing $76 million in visitor spending per day.
• The park service said it is losing $450,000 per day in revenue from entrance fees and other in-park expenditures, such as campground fees and boat rentals.

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