Unexpected political message appears on Missouri, Illinois National Forest websites

ST. LOUIS - Websites for National Forests in Missouri and Illinois now feature an unexpected political message following the start of the federal government shutdown on Wednesday.

The message appears in a yellow banner at the top of websites for Missouri's Mark Twain National Forest and Illinois' Shawnee National Forest. It blames "Radical Left Democrats" for the government shutdown.

The message reads: "The Radical Left Democrats shutdown 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."

As of Thursday afternoon, the same message also appeared on the homepage for the U.S. Forest Service, the parent agency of the Mark Twain and Shawnee national forests.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the U.S. Forest Service and nearly 30 federal agencies, has posted similar variations of the aforementioned message to other websites under its scope, many of which also blame "Radical Left Democrats" for the ongoing shutdown.

Other federal land agencies, such as the National Park Service, acknowledged the government shutdown without a political disclaimer. The Gateway Arch National Park website, for instance, says, "National parks remain as accessible as possible during the federal government shutdown. However, some services may be limited or unavailable."

Mark Twain National Forest is located in Rolla, Missouri. Shawnee National Forest is located in Herod, Illinois. Both are roughly 80 miles south of St. Louis. Federal lands like national forests typically remain open during a government shutdown, though some facilities and services maintained by government agencies may be closed, limited, or unavailable.

Leading up to the government shutdown, Republicans proposed a short-term funding bill to keep the government running through Nov. 21. Democrats blocked the measure, pressing for stronger healthcare provisions, which Republican argue would add more than $1 trillion to the federal deficit.