The Little River Canyon Center is expected to soon see some changes, as it has been listed as part of the governments Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) recent spending cuts.

The Center is owned and operated by Jacksonville State University and leases office space to the National Parks Services (NPS). It is the NPS offices lease that is expected to be terminated by the end of the year.

The NPS has the park featured on its website: https://www.nps.gov/liri/index.htm

The Jacksonville State Website has the following description of the park listed on its Website: https://www.jsu.edu/epic/canyoncenter/

“Open to the public since 2009, the Little River Canyon Center is a Jacksonville State University building located in Northeast Alabama that adjoins the Little River Canyon National Preserve in the city of Fort Payne. With a portion leased to the National Park Service and the staff of the Little River Canyon National Preserve, the facility features a Grand Hall, HD movie theater, gift shop, natural history library, exhibits, classrooms, back deck, outdoor amphitheater and trails for both education and adventure. It is available to rent for meetings, social gatherings, corporate retreats and other special events.

The Canyon Center features a regular schedule of programs that include concerts, workshops, hikes, lectures, and other activities for students of all ages. The building itself is educational as it is LEED (Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design) Silver Certified structure that utilizes geothermal heating and cooling, recycled materials, added insulation and many other innovative and sustainable design elements.”

According to JSU President Dr. Don C. Killingsorth, the closures of the NPS offices will not have an effect on the center staying open. He stated that JSU will continue to manage and maintain the facility,

There are no changes or disruptions to the services or programs provided that are anticipated at this time.

The closings are part of 34 offices that function as visitor centers, law enforcement offices, and museums.

You can see the full list of those 34 closures listed here on the National Parks Conservation Association Website: file:///D:/Desktop/NPCA%20list%20of%20Park%20Service%20targeted%20leases_March%202025.pdf

This is a developing story, and we will continue to look for more information and update this story as that information becomes available.

WEIS