This spectacular view of Zion Canyon is from the 1,488-foot rock formation known as Angels Landing. Utah officials report Zion National Park alone lost 72,000 visitors during the first 10 days of the partial government shutdown.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert didn't wait for Congress to resolve the federal shutdown. For every day of the shutdown, the state was losing millions of tourist dollars. The governor signed an agreement with the Department of the Interior to pay the National Park Service $1.67 million to reopen eight national park areas in his state for at least 10 days, beginning Oct. 12. The parks are Canyonlands; Natural Bridges and Glen Canyon; Zion; Capitol Reef; Arches and Bryce Canyon; and Cedar Breaks National Monument. Utah officials report the state tourism generates $100 million in revenue in October.

On Oct. 17, President Obama signed a bill to end the 16-day so-called "partial government shutdown" and raise the debt ceiling.

So"?(R)?that means Utah had to foot the bill for five days. Let's see"?(R)?167,000 x 5=$830,000.

Is Utah out that money, or will it get reimbursed? The National Park Service (NPS) reports it doesn't have the authority to reimburse Utah or any other state that paid to reopen its parks during the partial government shutdown. That is up to Congress. Parks spokesman Mike Litterst told the Salt Lake Tribune that the funds were "donated," and that NPS can only reimburse the states if Congress expressly directs it to do so through legislation. The bill President Obama signed does not provide that directive.

Meanwhile, Utah representatives (Rob Bishop, Jason Chaffetz, Jim Matheson and Chris Stewart) have introduced legislation for government reimbursement, and state Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) is sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate.

Utah probably will get its money back, as there were similar paybacks during the 1995-1996 partial government shutdown, then again, don't count your greenbacks until they're credited to the state treasury.