‘The Radical Left Democrats Shut Down the Government,’ Says Los Padres National Forest Website

Representative Salud Carbajal on Wednesday sent a letter to the federal Office of Special Counsel demanding that it investigate what he called “the Trump administration’s apparent illegal use of government resources to promote a partisan political agenda.”

Carbajal pointed to a message recently posted to the official Los Padres National Forest website that reads: “The Radical Left Democrats shut down the government. This government website will be updated periodically during the funding lapse for mission critical functions. President Trump has made it clear he wants to keep the government open and support those who feed, fuel, and clothe the American people.”

The message, a remarkable departure for a typically nonpartisan workforce, mirrors others published on federal agency websites and social media accounts that cast blame on Democrats for the government shutdown, now in its third week. Versions of it have appeared across all sites administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service, as well as those operated by the Treasury, Health, and State departments. Similar talking points have been broadcast across large U.S. airports. 

In his letter, Carbajal argued the messaging is a violation of the Hatch Act, a law designed to ensure that federal workers operate free of political influence or coercion. “Federal employees, including those on California’s Central Coast, deserve clear guidance to ensure that directives do not compromise their integrity or the public’s trust,” he said. “Regardless of which party holds power, such messaging violates the foundational principle that federal agencies serve the American people, not partisan agendas.”

Attempts to reach the Los Padres National Forest press office for comment were not successful, likely due to staff furloughs. Soon after the government shutdown began on October 1, signage was placed in the windows of the Santa Barbara Ranger District office stating it would be closed until further notice. 

“With offices closed, federal personnel will not be able to help the public with questions about hiking trails and campgrounds, nor will they be able to issue firewood gathering permits,” said Los Padres ForestWatch, a conservation advocacy group, in a recent statement.

“For now, forest roads, trails, campgrounds, and day use areas that were open before the shutdown will remain open, but they may be closed at any time,” the group said. “Some public restrooms may not be maintained.” The shutdown will also likely mean a reduction in prescribed burns, delays in processing permits and grants, and impacts to ongoing scientific studies.

The USDA’s Lapse of Funding Plan states that 39 percent of U.S. Forest Service employees will be furloughed during the shutdown. Positions deemed “essential” remain staffed, including wildfire response, law enforcement, and those necessary for carrying out President Trump’s executive order to increase timber production across all national forests.

ForestWatch also took note of the Los Padres website message, calling it “dangerous and divisive.”