KERNVILLE, Calif. — Sequoia National Forest is open and offering normal services this weekend for the first time since the government shutdown.

Deputy District Ranger, Dionne Uzes, said the Kern River District of the Sequoia National Forest went back to work on Monday. And This weekend is the first weekend since the shutdown ended that forest employees are back on the clock.

Uzes said during the 35-day shutdown trash cans and dumpsters were overflowing and outhouses went uncleaned due to the furlough. Since coming back to work Uzes said forest employees have been behind schedule with normal forest maintenance and where they would like to be with the forest.

Moving forward Uzes hopes future national park and forest guests remember the pack it in pack it out approach. She means if you pack something to take with you into the forest to take it out when you leave. And if you do decide to use a trash can or dumpster you only throw away trash into a can or dumpster that's not overflowing.