"I wanted to see firsthand the effect of the national park closure and it's so serious that I've decided I think that as a member of the legislature I need to formally petition Governor Brown to open these parks and he can do it," Patterson said.
Many business owners in the area say they are losing thousands of dollars a day because of the park's closure. The National Park Service will be speaking at town hall meeting in Three Rivers on Monday to talk more about the effects of the government shutdown.
