The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The shutdown of the federal government that went into effect December 22 is being felt on the Sisters Ranger District.

"We have a very limited number of employees working," Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid told The Nugget.

Reid is one of them. They are not getting paid.

"There's certainly work not getting done," Reid said.

The ranger said that he is limited in what he is allowed to say about the matter.

"The longer it goes on, the more the impact will be," he said.

Deschutes National Forest Supervisor John Allen told The Nugget that "the vast majority of our work is on hold." The handful of employees who are working - unpaid - are managing activities or facilities that impact public health or safety - like maintaining the restrooms at popular snow-parks.

"Ninety-five percent of our employees are off work - furloughed full-time," Allen said.

Allen said that the Forest Service has experience with such shutdowns and it won't take long to get back to work once the green light goes on.

"When we're allowed to go back to work, we can be ready really quick," he said. "Next day, for sure."

Political observers in Washington appear to be in consensus that the shutdown will last into 2019.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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