This is pretty telling. While publishing to the Federal Register is automatic, this particular forest is not publishing their decision. Politics? We think YES.
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — The public is unable to view final updates to a northwestern Montana forest management plan due to the federal government shutdown.
The Missoulian reports Flathead National Forest Supervisor Chip Weber published the final record of decision of the Forest Land Management Plan and an amendment to grizzly bear recovery management policies in the Federal Register on Dec. 27.
The plans and amendments are available on the Forest Service website, but the record of decision was not released.
Swan View Coalition Director Keith Hammer provided a copy of an email exchange he’d had with Weber. The supervisor wrote, “We have regional direction not to send this out or post until shutdown ends and we have funding.”
Weber says publication of the Federal Register is essentially automatic, but additional work has not been authorized during the shutdown.