The USFWS issued an email last Tuesday addressing opportunities, including hunting, which are being lost in the government shutdown.
Margaret Everson, principal deputy direct of the Fish and Wildlife Service said that 38 wildlife refuges around the country will bring back some staff using carryover funds.
“While many of our refuges have remained accessible, but not staffed, the extended lapse in federal appropriations is impacting both our ability to serve the public and to protect natural resources under our care in some places,” Everson wrote, according to The Press Herald.
“For the next 30 days, using previously appropriated funds, we will bring back a limited number of employees to resume work on high priority projects and activities that support the Service’s mission and meet the public’s desire for access to Refuge lands,” Everson said in the email.
The Interior Department initially directed national parks to remain open, albeit with limited staffing. The move led to piles of uncollected garbage and overflows of human waste in the parks. The National Park Service over the weekend said some parks could start using visitor fees to staff the units during the shutdown, said the Press Herald.
