Partial shutdown would hit non-vital services like parks
With President Trump threatening to shut down part of the government, the holidays might not be the same in the Bay Area this year, especially for people planning a visit to Muir Woods or counting on a federal loan — or worse, those with a federal job.
More than 800,000 employees nationwide will be furloughed or forced to work without pay if no budget deal is reached by 9 p.m. PST Friday, as nine federal agencies stand to lose operational funding. Public services that the government deems nonessential, from national park visitor centers to passport application offices to the processing of home and business loans, would cease.
Federal agencies that already have their budgets approved — about three-quarters of the government, including the Defense Department — would continue to operate. So would essential services provided by agencies that will otherwise go dark: For example, airport security workers and Border Patrol agents would stay on the job.
The prospect of a partial government shutdown loomed Thursday as Trump said he would veto a stopgap measure to keep federal offices open if it didn’t include money for his proposed border wall. It would be the third partial closure during Trump’s presidency.
The primary agencies at risk of losing funding are the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Homeland Security, Interior, State, Transportation, Treasury and Housing and Urban Development.
Perhaps the most visceral impact of a shutdown in the Bay Area would be at federally run parks, with parking lots, restrooms and information centers being locked up across the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods and Point Reyes National Seashore.
Roads, trails and wilderness areas would generally remain accessible, according to the government’s contingency plan. But many rangers and maintenance workers would not be on the job to help visitors or provide upkeep.
Local park administrators declined to discuss exactly what would be off-limits during a shutdown. But when funding lapsed for three days in January, officials closed parking lots at Muir Beach and along Ocean Beach, while the parking lot and main entrance at Muir Woods were roped off entirely. Alcatraz Island remained open.
The Presidio of San Francisco, which is jointly operated by the National Park Service and the independent Presidio Trust, would not see much effect from a closure. Employees of the trust, a federal agency that operates without taxpayer funding, intend to pick up the slack.
Parks that charge admission, such as Yosemite National Park, waived fees during the January shutdown as entrance stations were closed while the gates stayed open.
Theresa Pierno, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, said that while keeping several parks open might seem to benefit the public, many suffered from overflowing trash cans and trespassing on sensitive landscapes during the January shutdown. In Yellowstone National Park, a snowmobiler trampled the area around Old Faithful geyser.
“It appears the Trump administration again intends to leave some parks partially open and without adequate staff, putting our nation’s most treasured places and millions of visitors in harm’s way,” Pierno said.
A lapse in funding for the State Department, which includes the San Francisco Passport Agency, could be problematic for those traveling abroad. The department plans to continue processing passports and visas, but a shortage of employees could create a backlog, possibly affecting those who need their documents quickly.
Furloughs at the Small Business Administration, meanwhile, could slow the approval of commercial loans and loan guarantees across California, and a lack of workers at the Federal Housing Administration could delay approval of home mortgage applications.
At the Agriculture Department, a break in funding could curtail inspections of foodprocessing plants. During a 16-day shutdown in 2013, dozens of safety evaluations were delayed.
State and local farm centers that provide information and assistance to growers could also be shut down at a time when questions abound about new tariffs and a farm bill that Trump signed Thursday.
At the Justice Department, local law enforcement training could stop and payments to crime victims would be temporarily halted.
About 400,000 federal government employees nationwide would be furloughed without pay in a shutdown, according to documents circulated in Congress. About 420,000 would be forced to work with no pay.
Federal workers were reimbursed for missed wages after past shutdowns, though that was not always the case for government contractors.
Federal law enforcement personnel would continue to work, and firefighters would remain on the job.
Most federal benefits, including Social Security, Medicare and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, would continue during a partial closure. Postal services and federal courts would not be affected.
Congress would also continue to be funded and lawmakers would be paid.