Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
The USDA Service Center in Worland is closed during the government shutdown, with the exception of the National Resources Conservation Service, which is funded through Jan. 19.
The Farm Service Agency Worland office is closed during the government shutdown.
WORLAND – The Washakie County United State Department of Agriculture Service Office, located in Worland and home to the Farm Service Agency, Rural Development, Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Washakie County Conservation District, remains closed due to a now 20-day government shutdown, although two of the agencies will remain open until Jan 19.
While USDA and FSA employees have been furloughed during the shutdown, NRCS has funding through Jan. 19 and employees remain in their offices.
Under a co-share agreement, the Washakie County Conservation District may work in the building for as long as the NRCS is open, but if the NRCS closes, conservation district employees will be required to work remotely, from home.
The conservation district is not federally funded.
According to a fact sheet distributed by the USDA before the shutdown, all regional and county offices will remain closed during the shutdown, although certain activities will continue, including meat, poultry and egg inspections, grain weighing and inspection, pest inspections for imports and exports, and Forest Service law enforcement.
USDA activities which will not continue during the shutdown include:
Provision of new rural development loans and grants for housing, community facilities, utilities, and businesses.
Recreation sites across the U.S. National Forest System, unless they are operated by external parties under a recreational special use permit, will be closed. While technically closed, many will still be physically accessible to visitors at their own risk, but without staffing at ranger stations and without access to facilities such as public restrooms.
New timber sales.
Most forest fuels reduction activities in and around communities.
Crop statistics, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, and other agricultural economic and statistical reports and projections.
Assistance for the control of some plant and animal pests and diseases unless funded by cooperators or other nonappropriated sources.
Research facilities except for the care for animals, plants, and associated infrastructure to preserve agricultural research.
Provision of new grants or processing of payments for existing grants to support research, education, and extension.
Commodity Outlook Reports, Data Products, research reports, staff analysis, and projections. The public website would be taken offline.
Most departmental management, administrative and oversight functions, including civil rights, human resources, financial management, audit, investigative, legal and information technology activities.
Mandatory Audits will be suspended and may not be completed and released on the date mandated by law.
Rural Development Office restrictions during a government shutdown include:
No additional loans/grants would be available during the period except for emergency purposes and to protect the Government's interest. System generated disbursements for previously obligated Rental Assistance (RA) funds will continue.
No new RD rural housing loans or guarantees would be issued, which would result in a setback in construction start-up, as well as a potentially costly inconvenience to buyers and sellers depending on a Single Family Housing loan or guaranteed loan closing. A more permanent interruption in the program would cause a substantial reduction in housing available in rural areas relative to population.
New and expanding businesses would be unable to access loan guarantees to create new jobs and save existing jobs and with them, the potential taxpayers who would hold those jobs.
No loans or assistance for essential community facilities would be made, delaying the financing of health care, emergency response, and other essential services to rural communities. Projects already financed that are under construction would be delayed in having any bridge financing replaced with permanent financing from USDA.
No loans, grants, or advances would be made or issued for modernizing rural America's electric and telecommunications infrastructure. Borrowers or grantees would not be able to improve service or pay off short-term bridge loans.
