Still closed

A sign on the door of the Lincoln Ranger Station serves as a reminder that the dozen or so full time employees there are still furloughed from their jobs as the longest government shut down in U.S. history approaches its fourth week.

Locally, the closure of the Ranger District office is the most obvious impact of the partial government shutdown, the effects of which have been largely minimized here due to the winter season.

However, as the shutdown drags on, its impacts may be more widely felt.

The shutdown prompted the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to issue February's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments early. DPHHS has stressed that the payments are early, not extra, and have to last through February.

States are authorized to make the early payments because the US Department of Agriculture has funding for 30 days after the shutdown, which began Dec. 22.

According to reports by both the Missoulian and NPR, there are also concerns that an extended shut down could have an impact on preparedness for this year's fire season, as federal fire fighter training and certification opportunities are being delayed.

According to the Missoulian report, the shutdown has also stalled momentum on the Good Neighbor Authority program that handles cooperative forest management projects between the state and federal government.