OROVILLE, CA (MPG) - Butte County officials are facing new uncertainty in federal disaster recovery efforts after learning that key FEMA-funded projects were denied without notice during a recent federal shutdown.

Chief Administrative Officer Andy Pickett told the Butte County Board of Supervisors on April 14 that the county uncovered the denials weeks after they were issued, cutting into the already limited window to appeal.

“They denied a couple of our projects in mid-March and didn’t tell us,” Pickett said, noting the county received no letters, emails or calls.

Pickett said the county only became aware of the decisions after another agency flagged the issue, prompting staff to search FEMA systems and confirm the determinations.

That delay carries consequences because FEMA appeals are subject to strict deadlines. By the time the county identified the issue, much of the appeal period had already passed.

“We’ve lost about half of the time available,” Pickett said.

The lapse occurred during a federal shutdown that halted routine operations within the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA. While communication with local agencies stopped, Pickett said FEMA staff continued working behind the scenes.

Supervisors pressed for answers on how decisions could be issued without direct notification, with Pickett acknowledging the county is still trying to determine what happened.

“You’re asking the same questions that we’re asking,” he said.

The projects denied were not identified during the discussion, but Pickett said staff are reviewing the details and will report back as more information becomes available.

Butte County relies heavily on FEMA funding across a range of efforts, including wildfire recovery from the Camp Fire, infrastructure repairs, housing redevelopment, hazard mitigation planning and evacuation route improvements in high-risk areas, officials said. The situation adds another layer of uncertainty to those long-running recovery efforts, which depend on FEMA reimbursement and approval for projects already underway.

Pickett said the county typically maintains consistent communication with FEMA, but the recent breakdown highlights vulnerabilities when federal operations are disrupted.

County staff are now working to determine whether appeals can still be filed in time and what options may exist to preserve funding tied to the affected projects.