Local post offices off closure list

Three of four rural post offices in Baker County initially eyed for closure will remain open after the moratorium ends May 15, 2012 barring United States Postal Service officials from taking drastic cost-cutting measures, such as closing facilities or altering services.

Before the Postal Service began the moratorium this week, actions were stopped that focused on closing the rural locations in Durkee, Oxbow and Unity, according to the Portland District of the USPS.

Hereford is the only Baker County rural post office still being considered for possible closure once the moratorium is lifted this spring.

Moves to shut down 20 rural locations total within the Portland District, which includes Oregon and a portion of Washington state, have been "paused," said Kerry Jeffrey, customer relations coordinator based in Portland.

"For now, we're not going to proceed with these evaluations," Jeffrey said.

He then cautioned that the reclassification "doesn't mean we won't look at these locations again."

It also doesn't stop Postal Service officials from continuing the fact-finding they have been carrying out as they examine each operation, Jeffrey also warned.

The Postal Service announced this summer up to 3,700 rural post offices nationwide, including the four in Baker County, might be closed.

Reasons why some locations are no longer being considered for shut down include topography, geography and weather, Jeffrey said.

The moratorium is to ensure that no offices are closed or employees laid off as part of these recently announced cost-cutting plans--at least until legislation that would help the Postal Service take actions to avoid bankruptcy can garner approval by enough members of the U.S. House and Senate.

The Postal Service also announced this past week that it was looking to close up to 252 mail processing centers, including four in Oregon: Bend, Pendleton, Salem and Springfield. It also plans to slow delivery of first-class mail and no longer get stamped letters to their destinations in one day.

These moves are on hold until May 15 as well.