Ok, I'll just go ahead and do it, I've been holding off on the question.... please do not respond with whose fault it is, the merits or lack thereof of border slats, whether they are necessary, etc. I'm not trying to pick a fight. I go to the BWCA to escape politics, not stoke the fire, and I don't want to do that here.

Anyone know what will happen to the permitting website on the last Wednesday of January if the government is shut down? Is it an automated process, or does it require the govt to be kept open? Has this happened before, will it just open up as soon as the government does?

I'm not sure what will happen Jan 30, but hoping no problem. You can access the site now and make the necessary changes to your account to comply with the new regulations, so . . .

Whatever happens or doesn’t happen will affect everyone the same, so no one will be disadvantaged. Just try it.

The site is run by a contractor and not directly by government employees. If the BWCA permit process already has all of the information loaded then it may well be ok. If it requires more input from a furloughed worker then it could well be delayed.

I have a cabin rented in the Hiawatha National Forest next week. I need to check and make sure there are no shutdown related issues before I go. Mostly hoping the woodshed is still stocked as the only heat is a wood stove!

bobbernumber3: "I have a cabin rented in the Hiawatha National Forest next week. I need to check and make sure there are no shutdown related issues before I go. Mostly hoping the woodshed is still stocked as the only heat is a wood stove!"

I like splitting wood! :)

bobbernumber3: "I have a cabin rented in the Hiawatha National Forest next week. I need to check and make sure there are no shutdown related issues before I go. Mostly hoping the woodshed is still stocked as the only heat is a wood stove!"

I rented a NF cabin during the 2013 shutdown.
If it has a combination lock you should be OK if you have the combination, if you have to pick up a key from the USFS that might be a problem.

LindenTree: "

bobbernumber3: "I have a cabin rented in the Hiawatha National Forest next week. I need to check and make sure there are no shutdown related issues before I go. Mostly hoping the woodshed is still stocked as the only heat is a wood stove!"

I rented a NF cabin during the 2013 shutdown.
If it has a combination lock you should be OK if you have the combination, if you have to piuwck up a key from the USFS that might be a problem."

I have found over three years that they never change the combination. Hope that holds true again.

andym: "The site is run by a contractor and not directly by government employees. If the BWCA permit process already has all of the information loaded then it may well be ok. If it requires more input from a furloughed worker then it could well be delayed."

Agreed. Getting the permit should not be a problem. I'm more curious as to whether a continued shutdown into the summer would have an effect on our trip experience.

You can read recreation.gov's comment:

https://www.recreation.gov/lapse-in-funding-info

I have a friend who is a contractor for the govt, and another who works for a public agency. The contractor friend cannot be paid for work he completed in December, and it is up in the air as to whether he will be paid at all. My friend who works for a public agency cannot touch his computer, answer emails or phone calls. I'm hoping whatever contractor they are using for the online reservations has the process automated. We'll see I guess!

scotttimm: "I have a friend who is a contractor for the govt, and another who works for a public agency. The contractor friend cannot be paid for work he completed in December, and it is up in the air as to whether he will be paid at all. My friend who works for a public agency cannot touch his computer, answer emails or phone calls. I'm hoping whatever contractor they are using for the online reservations has the process automated. We'll see I guess!"

Recreation.gov is different then say an individual or contracting company that is working inside a government agency. They are like the post office (except private) in that they operate independently. If they need the Forest service to do anything before they can start the permit reservations, then this becomes a big problem. And if this continues until May, then I suspect it is going to be a big mess for the BWCA. Recreation.gov must already be struggling with custom service as other federal parks/lands which have reservations and can't fulfill them are causing many returns/cancellations/charge backs, etc.

Any other work that the FS had planned for this winter is not getting done. So if they were going to dog sled in new grates or do other maintenance, it is not getting done.