Oregon Public Broadcasting

Customer uproar has led the U.S. Postal Service to give a reprieve to all post offices proposed to close in Washington State and Montana. But six branches in Oregon and three in Idaho remain candidates for consolidation.

Postal service spokesman Ernie Swanson says the agency was swamped with opposition from affected customers in Seattle, Tacoma, Union Gap, and Spokane.

Ernie Swanson: “The vast preponderance, almost 100%, of them were very negative. Please, please don't close our post office. It represents an important economic factor in our community. A lot of folks – elderly, disabled, handicapped, this sort of thing -- would be severely impacted by having to go to another post office.”

Customer questionnaires continue to be distributed and collected at branches slated to close in Portland, Salem, and Eugene.

Swanson says the postal service still faces a huge budget hole.

If it doesn't close some stations, Congress would have to bail out the post office or the agency would have to make other cuts.

That could include Saturday delivery.