The Jefferson County Conservation District altered its hours of operation effective last Sunday to Mondays through Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Regular operating hours will resume at an unspecified date.
The conservation district, at 205 W. Patison St., Port Hadlock, is struggling to deliver services to Jefferson County property owners because the state Legislature has failed to pass a capital budget due to a debate over a recent court ruling involving water, the district said in a press release.
This has left the district with a large gap in funding with no immediate means of securing other funds to continue its programs, according to the release.
In light of the impasse, “the conservation district has to make some tough decisions about how to preserve some of our programs and retain staff,” said conservation district Board of Supervisors Chair Glen Huntingford.
“Simply put, this means a reduction of staff hours and a lower level of service to our customers,” continued Huntingford.