Unfortunately, while the government is shutdown WV will not be able to send out many of the remaining service projects on our 2013 schedule. All of the country’s National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management lands and National Forests are closed for business until Congress passes a Continuing Resolution to fund the government. All “non-essential employees” of the federal government have been furloughed until further notice. Although we sincerely want to run the projects and give something back, Congress has essentially cancelled it for us because the agencies cannot work with volunteer groups and they won’t have field staff to supervise the work.
If you are a participant in one of these trips, you should have already received an email from us. If not please contact us at info@wildernessvolunteers.org. Note the service project in Hawaii’s Limahuli National Tropical Botanic Garden will still run as scheduled, and there is still a possibility the Big Bend National Park trip will run should Congress come to their senses before October 20th.
Additionally, the release of our Spring 2014 schedule will be delayed, as we cannot continue to plan and confirm next year’s trips with agency staff furloughed. Rest assured that we will move quickly once these agencies return to work. Check back once the government returns to work and keep your eye on your email inbox for our announcement.
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| Photo courtesy of upadowna.org |
If you have any further questions about how the shutdown impacts WV, please contact us at info@wildernessvolunteers.org.
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Having participated in five Wilderness Volunteer projects–four in Alaska, one in Arizona–I am very thankful to have met many wonderful volunteers, leaders, and employees of the National Park Service and the Forest Service. During the government shutdown, the latter men and women were furloughed without pay. I know they will be paid eventually, but they also had to listen to media reports about what little impact the shutdown was having, as though their efforts year in and year out are noticed by no one. Further, work that should have been done didn't just go away just because it wasn't being done—-work including, if I may speak selfishly—planning for the WV summer projects. Now that the shutdown has ended, there will be a hard period of their attempting to catch up.
So, I hope WV volunteers will take a moment to email "their" NPS and FS people and express gratitude for the work they do in preserving wild places and to let them know that we are as always ready to help. I for one have learned so much from them that the WV project weeks are the highlights of my year.
The recent shutdown have caused a lot of disadvantages to every sectors of the country.