Government Avoids Shutdown – For Now

October 1, 2015 – As the end of fiscal year 2015 loomed, Congress passed a last-minute Continuing Resolution (CR) that would keep the U.S. government funded and operating until December 11, 2015. While this is certainly welcome news, the nation will likely face the potential for another shutdown as December 11 approaches unless a budget for Fiscal Year 2016 (Oct 1, 2015 – Sept 30, 2016) can be passed.

In the Continuing Resolution there were included a few funding anomalies – items that are in addition to the “business as usual” appropriations. Among these, AHS is particularly pleased that the CR appropriated $700 million for the USDA Forest Service for urgent wildfire suppression activities. This funding not only pays for current fire fighting activities but also repays the internal borrowing the Forest Service had to do from its other programs revenue so that it could fight forest fires.

Also in the Continuing Resolution, the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) was extended through September 30, 2017.

Keep an eye on December 11, though. If Congress does not either pass a budget or another Continuing Resolution, the federal government will still shutdown. That means federal lands such as National Parks, National Forests, Wildlife Refuges, and BLM lands will be off limits to hikers as well as – well – pretty much everybody!

This is not just frustrating to the American people – it’s bad for the parks and public lands. When public lands are closed, maintenance isn’t getting done, volunteer trail workers are locked out, and the parks themselves lose needed revenue from their visitors.