By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The partial government shutdown that began Dec. 22 continued into its second week, affecting dozens of people in Sitka employed by such agencies as the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
While federal programs serving Native Americans in other parts of the country were disrupted by the layoff of critical employees, that was not the case at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska.
General Manager Lisa Gassman said STA has a compact with the federal government to provide services formerly provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“We are not really impacted because we have carryover from prior years allowing us to continue providing services,” Gassman said.
Those programs are social services, financial assistance, higher education and vocational education funding, and workforce development, to name a few, she said.
One STA operation that was affected was the partnership it has with the National Park Service for interpretive services by STA members.
The visitors center and Russian Bishop’s House were closed to the public when the shutdown started, and the STA employees assigned to park, including the operations lead, the deputy operations lead and the education specialist, were relocated to the STA administration building on Katlian Street, Gassman said.
“If (the federal shutdown) goes for an extended amount of time we will put them in the Healing House offices,” Gassman said.
STA operates on a calendar year that starts in January and generally does not expect to receive its funding for services until January or February, she added.
“We are continuing to provide services without any issues,” Gassman said.
Dozens of employees of the U.S. Forest Service in Sitka were furloughed, leaving only two on duty: Sitka District Ranger Perry Edwards and the district law enforcement officer. The press contact phone at the U.S. Forest Service office in Washington, D.C., was answered with a recorded message:
“Hi, you have reached the U.S.D.A. Forest Service. Due to a lapse in government funding we are unavailable to assist with your media request at this time. If you wish to leave a message we will return it as soon as possible once government funding has been restored. For information about the government shutdown, please call the office of management and budget at 202-395-7254. Thank you.”
Most civilian employees of the U.S. Coast Guard in Sitka have been furloughed, the Sentinel was told. The number was not available, but the Coast Guard’s Alaska press office said there are about 8,700 civilian employees nationwide. Uniformed members of the Coast Guard, which is a part of Homeland Security, are considered “essential” workers who are required to remain on duty during a government shutdown, said Coast Guard spokeswoman Charly Hengen.
“Civilian personnel are furloughed unless they perform an excepted mission, one that involves the protection of life, property or law enforcement,” she said in a written response to the Sentinel’s questions. “The Coast Guard has approximately 1,300 civilian employees that fall into this category.”
“Congress has paid personnel who were furloughed during previous lapses in appropriation, but this is not a guarantee,” Hengen said. “The approximately 1,300 civilian employees who perform excepted missions will be compensated for the time they worked at the end of the lapse in appropriation, but will not be paid until the lapse in appropriation ends.”
In the meantiime, Hengen said, “the Coast Guard will continue to perform our duties during the shutdown and will provide essential services such as search and rescue, port and homeland safety and security, law enforcement and environmental response. If the shutdown continues, assistance is available to service members,” she said. “The Coast Guard Mutual Assistance program is available to help members who might experience an economic hardship.”
Hengen said the Coast Guard is trying to keep Coast Guard members and civilian employees updated as much as possible. The Coast Guard is one of the five U.S. uniformed services, but unlike the four others whose budgets were passed by Congress in the Defense Department appropriations before the shutdown started, the Coast Guard received a special appropriation for funding only through the pay period ending Jan. 31, Hengen said.
The Southeast Alaska Regional Health Consortium receives federal compact funding for providing health care services around Southeast Alaska, and it was unclear what the impact will be if the shutdown continues, SEARHC chief financial officer Dan Harris said in a news release today.
“SEARHC, together with other tribal organizations across the country is concerned with the shutdown and the impact on Native health care,” Harris said in the news release. “Many tribal providers rely on the committed funding plans to serve patients every day so a one-day delay is harmful to providing the health care needed. Tribal health organizations already operate on low margins and low payments. Any interruption in that flow of funds will impact patient care. While SEARHC has taken steps to mitigate the majority of the impact, this is something we take very seriously and also realize that the impact of the shutdown will impact many across the Alaska and the U.S. The impact goes from funding grants for programs from diabetes to behavioral health to low income funding in remote areas. Again, SEARHC has the financial strength to keep the impact on patients at a minimum, but even this is limited depending on the length of the shutdown.”
The Alaska communications company GCI issued a news release today, offering to help people affected by the shutdown with their payment plans.
“Federal agencies like the Coast Guard and the National Park Service deliver the services that protect Alaska’s people and resources and help our economy grow,” said GCI spokesperson Heather Handyside. “To help mitigate the negative impact of the shutdown on federal employees and the Alaska economy, GCI customers impacted by the shutdown can set up a payment plan to defer portions of their payments until after the situation is resolved.”
She referred those interested to the Sitka GCI store or to call a service representative at 907-265-5400 or 800-800-4800.
