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Soil conservation staff say USDA shutdown disrupted partner services and paused some payments
Summary
Soil Conservation staff told supervisors USDA service-center closures tied to the federal shutdown have restricted partner IT access and paused Conservation Reserve Program payments affecting roughly 11,000 acres and 800+ contracts in Linn County.
John Gallagher, a representative from Soil Conservation, told Linn County supervisors that the federal shutdown that began Oct. 1 has impaired partner access to IT and facilities in USDA service centers and temporarily halted some payments.
Gallagher said many partnering staff operate from USDA service centers and lose remote access to computer systems and email during a shutdown. "Computer systems, email handles, those types of things are all, basically ... paid for by USDA," he said, adding that county and conservation IT stepped in to provide temporary workarounds. He cautioned partners who are using personal phones and emails to continue work that those channels can complicate verification and customer service.
He reported the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) payments are on hold and noted "there's roughly 11,000 acres of CRP ground in Linn County and over 800 contracts," many of which represent retirement income for landowners. Gallagher said Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff in the Marion field office were authorized to reopen with two staff and that some commodity- and loan-related services are being made available as possible.
Gallagher also described active local water-quality work: more than 13,000 acres have signed up for cover crops this fall, and the Soil Conservation department is promoting state urban water-quality grants and working with local partners on projects such as oxbow restoration.
Supervisors asked how the county can assist; Gallagher described interagency coordination and thanked county IT for rapid support. No new county funding was proposed at the meeting.
