When looking at the larger picture, and the scope of the entire country, it’s hard to feel the immediate ramifications of a government shutdown at the micro-economic, rural level.
However, south western Kentucky — and Trigg County, in particular — has at least two ways in which ripples have turned into waves.
The first has already been observed, when a written letter from Senator Mitch McConnell — one asking for extracurricular activities at Fort Campbell, Fort Knox and other DoDEA locations be termed as “essential services” — made it all the way to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s desk.
The second was observed early Thursday morning, when Land Between the Lakes officials confirmed the cancellation of its regularly-scheduled quarterly convening of the LBL Advisory Board.
Though services like fire prevention, timber sale and recreation do remain “essential” in the 180,000-acre wildlife preserve, the conducting of public business, the planning of a 2026 calendar and the overall organization of one of the nation’s most popular refuges apparently is not.
In fact, several LBL officials remain on furlough and underneath a gag order to both the general public and local media, while cooler minds fail to prevail on Capitol Hill.
Redesigned by Congressman James Comer, McConnell and President Joe Biden under the Land Between the Lakes Recreation and Heritage Act and the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, this advisory board is a group of 13 local and regional members appointed to advise the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture on issues related to the management, environmental education and public participation in LBL.
It is the board’s mission to enhance the recreational, educational and ecological aspects of the area by providing advice on policy, environmental education and public engagement. It operates under the U.S. Forest Service, and it focuses on balancing the needs of recreation, conservation and education within the unique national recreation area.
The federal government has been operating under a lapse of full-year appropriations for FY2026 since October 1, and a shutdown could continue for at least the next week because Congress has yet to enact a continuing resolution, nor adopted appropriations, that can keep discretionary programs funded.
According to CBS News, the shutdown reflects a congressional impasse. The House passed funding measures, including a continuing resolution, but the Senate repeatedly failed to advance those measures, and the Republican and Democratic parties remain far apart on policy riders and funding tradeoffs.
As it stands, the next LBL Advisory Board meeting is next scheduled for Spring 2026.
