Federal lands close due to shutdown

calamari

Member
For those of you planning to hunt on land administered by the federal government this notice was on their website for two large federal refuges here in Calif. It looks like it would apply country wide so you'd better check before you hunt anything the feds control which is a bunch of Montana.
In checking back at the website and other federal websites it appears that they've all pretty much shutdown.

Due to the lapse in appropriated funds, all public lands managed by the Interior Department (National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management facilities, etc.) will be closed. For more information, FAQs, and updates, please visit www.doi.gov/shutdown.
 
From my understanding was if there were gates to enter these federal lands they'll stay locked as no one is working to be able to open them.
 
I can remember what happened during the Clinton administration when the government shut down and back then closed meant closed. It was the same then in that it happened during hunting season and if I remember correctly hunters and fishermen were big players in getting them to take care of business. I'd expect signs to be placed on access points or for big holdings like BLM and Nat'l Forests they should have something current on their web sites soon.
 
The BLM site says that law enforcement personnel are considered critical employees and will continue to be on the job. Out here the National Forest closes for various reasons all the time. Sometimes it's just preventing wood cutting and sometimes (usually) it's because of fire danger but the closure can be complete and total. Hopefully they will at least be clear as to what is allowed and what is prohibited. Keep checking the agency's web sites...if they operate them again.
 
Looks like the BLM in MT for instance will have law enforcement, emergency response functions, oil and gas inspectors, fire fighters on duty.
There are so many parcels of BLM land in MT it would seem impossible to close to the public.
BLM parks, Campsite and fishing access sites probably will be closed?

NWR like the CMR probably will be open?

Those like Bowdoin and Medicine Lake, not?
 
Wayne, you put a question mark as punctuation to your last three sentences. Without them I think they'd be correct statements of what will happen. Bowdoin, Medicine Lake and other similar relatively small areas with a dedicated staff would close based on how the FWS handled the last shutdown out here. How the outlying wildlife areas w/o onsite administration would be dealt with is a question. It will concentrate hunters onto what's left open. I doubt that CMR would close in its entirety but facilities like campgrounds and launch sites probably would.
Although the notice says all the D.O.I. administered lands would close it doesn't make sense but then not much of this meets that standard. The hard part is w/o staff they don't seem to update their web sites very often.
 
BLM land is open but all of the CMR is closed. This info is from a BLM ranger.
 
Closed CMR will take 1,100,000 acres away from public hunting.
I can believe the CMR is closed, can't believe it can be enforced.
Dozens of 2 tracks going in and out, no gates. Who's there to Mark all these trails? The Auto tour would be easy to close off and probably is.
There are a 1,000 or more elk hunters in the CMR now, Who's going to evict them on their dream hunts of a lifetime?
There are private areas like Hell Creek, Rock Creek, The Pines and the Marina at Fort Peck. Also a couple State Parks. Feds have no control.

There are dozens of WPA's that are Federal, I think State of MT does the law enforcement at these as far as CO's.
 
There are a 1,000 or more elk hunters in the CMR now, Who's going to evict them on their dream hunts of a lifetime?
Generally speaking I think hunters are some of the more law abiding citizens. This will put them in the position of breaking a law if it is closed and even if nobody contacts them directly. I guess I'd turn my cell phone and radio off and act surprised if they do see someone. Like I said, I recall that hunters and fishermen were a big impetus to getting this resolved the last time. Much fewer people would be concerned if this happened in Feb. but hunting season, man the people causing this closure are engaged in risky behavior.
 
Cal, for sure hunters for the most part are law abiding and word gets around.
When I'm in the CMR area I have to go at least 30 miles North toward Malta to get cell phone service. :)

It's going to hard to say whats closed and what's open without being out there. I doubt if gov. websites are being updated.
 
It's going to hard to say whats closed and what's open without being out there. I doubt if gov. websites are being updated.

It reminds me of the movie, "Catch 22." Their websites will be updated. All personnel who can update their websites have been furloughed.
The End.:laugh:
 
My sister up near Saco,MT says all federal refuges are closed both Bowdoin and the one to the east, medicine lake along with ofcourse Charles Russle. Fred Robinson Bridge campground is closed too. Sucks for elk hunters, the rut should be in fine form right about now.
 
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And the House just passed a bill 407-0 this morning to give the federal workers back pay when this is over. What the F___!! Pay them not to work? Then why furlough them in the first place. Still going to cost us the same amount of money. Our government is so broken and screwed up I don't know if there is a fix.
 
Amen, George!

And why do Reid and Obama have so much power?? Get rid of the Senate entirely and allow those elected a chance to vote versus being blocked by one person (Reid). Not allowing bills to be voted on is ludicrous.
 
Amen, George! And why do Reid and Obama have so much power?? Get rid of the Senate entirely and allow those elected a chance to vote versus being blocked by one person (Reid). Not allowing bills to be voted on is ludicrous.

So the Senate isn't elected and the House of Representatives is? Somebody went hunting instead of going to Civics class. This thread will go south quickly if people aren't careful.
Contact your representative and share your thoughts on the matter preferably after you've become informed of the details. By the way, check to see if John Boehner Speaker of the House has refused to allow a vote on a simple Continuing Resolution which would have avoided all this shutdown.
 
Get rid of incumbants. Period, problem solved.
Actually this issue is the result of a few Tea Party candidates that won seats from incumbents in 2010 and 2012. Incumbacy isn't necessasrily an issue. Stupidity is.

As far as WPA's, go. they cant do a dam thing to you.
If the feds have in fact closed WPAs, which is hard to determine since there isn't a web site I can find that details their specific closures, there are all sorts of things they can do to you. The issue is will they. The size of their enforcement staff isn't based upon having to keep the public off all of their holdings so it is far too small to enforce such a restriction if it is all inclusive and the public ignores it.
The bad part and what is another bad idea is that it puts the public in the position of being a trespasser and probably breaking a number of laws and not just one. It also puts the public in the position of potentially taking young hunters places and telling them we're going to break the law today so ignore the signs. Not the lesson you want to teach young hunters.
 
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