Shutdown impacts on Turnbull

After a 35-day shutdown, Congress has passed a temporary continuing resolution which funds the U.S. Department of Interior for three weeks. This allowed Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge staff to return to work. The five weeks of lost time put everyone behind for the work year. Planning for the upcoming field season, including habitat and survey work, and valuable fuels management, came to a halt.

Staff are now getting back to winter maintenance of equipment, assessing equipment and supply needs, upgrading a wildland fire engine. Postponed coordination meetings with partners can be rescheduled. Four weeks of environmental education outreach to the local schools was lost but now the visitor services program can get back to planning and implementing on and off refuge activities. Seasonal hiring for firefighters, laborer and biological work can continue and hopefully progress can be made on filling two vital permanent vacancies.

The personal loss to refuge staff, in addition to financial burden of missing two paychecks, was in morale and the uncertainty of when the shutdown would end, and will it happen again. There is worry about getting caught up with their workload. Another government shutdown must not occur.

Nancy Curry, Friends of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge boardmember

Cheney