The government officially shut down on Friday, Jan. 19 at midnight when lawmakers were unable to agree on a spending bill.

Although the shutdown ended on Monday following passage of emergency short-term funding by bothg the House and Senate, it is instructive to see how local activities would be affected by a federal shutdown.

In the event of a government shutdown it means federal employees will not be paid. This has not happened since 2013 when the shutdown lasted 16 days. Government offices that protect “life or human property” will remain open, including national security, postal services, air traffic control, some medical services, disaster assistance, prisons, taxation and electricity generation.

However other departments such as housing, environment, education and commerce will be shuttered until an agreement can be reached. According to a study by WalletHub, Montana is the seventh most affected by the shutdown. The study compared six key metrics ranging from each state’s share of federal jobs and contracts to the percentage of kids covered by CHIP. In Mineral County the U.S. Forest Service is about the only agency which will be directly impacted by the shutdown.

A statement released by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue outlined services which would remain available in the event of a government shutdown. Those include Emergency and Defense Preparedness; Fire Suppression activities; Protection of Federal lands including buildings, waterways, equipment and other property and investments owned by the U.S.; as well as all contracts in support of cyber security, land-based radio communications, and infrastructure operation to support key positions and essential personnel; Protection of Research studies; and Job Corps operations unless directed otherwise by the Department of Labor.

Forest service websites were posted with the following message:

“This USDA website will not be updated during a lapse in federal funding. Content on this website will not be current or maintained until funding issues have been resolved. However, if there is information that affects security, life, and property, this website will continue to update that information during a funding lapse.”

Tweets from Forest Service agencies have also been shut down including one from Yellowstone Park Service which read, “during a Federal government shutdown, we will not monitor or update social media. Some Yellowstone areas are accessible, however, access may change without notice, and there are no NPS-provided services.”

Calls to the Superior and Missoula Forest Services offices went unanswered on Monday morning.