Federal Government Shutdown Impacts
Statement from Friends of The Desert Mountains Regarding Federal Government Shutdown Impacts
The October 1, 2025 federal shutdown is having multiple detrimental impacts on the daily operations and business dealings of Friends of the Desert Mountains (Friends), the 501(c)3 non-profit partner of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument (Monument) with shared offices located on Highway 74 at the Monument Visitor Center. This is very unfortunate and we do not know how long it will last – so we are making plans!
As of noon October 2, 2025, Friends was removed from our offices at the Monument Visitor Center on Highway 74 due to the federal government shut down. Staff had to vacate the premises, remove any near-term needed equipment and supplies in onsite shared storage, and communicate to offsite staff, board, volunteers and supporters that many upcoming plans must halt.
Shutdowns have happened before, but this is the first time we have had to leave the campus. While some of our work can be done remotely, there are many other impacts shuttering our office will have:
Free public programs at the Visitor Center like Tortoise Talks, Star Parties, bird walks, and lectures are canceled until further notice. No volunteer staff will be permitted onsite, including Friends’ Ed Hastey Garden Trail watering crew.
We currently are seeking nearby locations to host our Volunteer trainings to continue building up our volunteer base. Our Hike Program plan to keep our free public hikes and off-site lectures going; please make sure to check our events calendar at DesertMountains.org/events for current status.
Should the shutdown continue past October 17th, upcoming events, including celebrations for the Monument’s 25th Anniversary, will be canceled or moved. This closure also may negatively impact our ability to fundraise and find sponsors for our annual fundraiser on November 12th, Friends and Champions.
Financial Impacts
- Programs are being cancelled, which means less donations coming in for Friends or Monument needs
- Our Visitor Center is closed, which means we lose income from sales at our gift shop
- 25th Anniversary of the Monument on 10/23 may be cancelled – we are investing considerable time and financial resources to this event
- 25th Anniversary of the Monument Youth Event at the Visitor Center on 10/25 is cancelled – this collaborative event included Sunline Transit Agency and all of the local colleges in the valley
- Friends only annual Fundraiser is slated for 11/12 so we are in full swing for planning and soliciting sponsorships – but not having events or even a reliably open office may affect our organizing
Programmatic Impacts
- Having to remove all of our needed tools and supplies, and find storage for them, so that we can continue our work in land stewardship, and do community outreach and education.
- Our volunteers also are forbidden to work here at the Visitor Center – we have 100+ community members who help water plants, staff and maintain the Visitor Center grounds, and do popular public programs like our “Tortoise Talks” with Bowser, our resident desert tortoise
Friends has been the official non-profit partner for the Monument since its inception in 2000 – the very Monument Friends helped establish. We conduct ourselves with a sense of decorum and conviviality for our trusted federal partners.
FAQ & UPDATES
The links below will help you find the information you need on Friends’ office closure, upcoming event statuses, and other resources. Thank you for your support and interest!
Members of the Public – Events continue!
Friends and Champions on Nov. 12 is ON!
Volunteerss – Check in on your event with Volunteer Coordinator
Follow us our Socials: Facebook Instagram TikTok
Media – Please contact Karin Jaffie to schedule interviews with our leadership. Se habla espanol.