The U.S. Postal Service has voluntarily agreed to put in place a five-month moratorium on closing postal facilities, which would give Congress more time to enact postal reform legislation.

This relieves pressure on the West Stockholm and Hailesboro Post Offices in St. Lawrence County, which have been anticipating closure orders since their offices were mentioned as possible closure targets last summer.

During the moratorium, scheduled to end on May 15, 2012, the Postal Service will continue to study the impact of proposed closures on service and costs and to solicit community input.

“The U.S. Postal Service plays a vital role in every community,” New York’s U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said. She, along with 16 of her colleagues, requested the moratorium. “Small businesses, families, and seniors depend on these facilities daily. While this is not a permanent solution, I am pleased that the Postmaster General is putting a six-month moratorium on the closures of postal facilities.

U.S. Congressman Bill Owens, who has been working to introduce bills to save costs and combine post offices with existing businesses.

"This is great news for those who depend on their local postal facilities for the vital services they provide," said Owens. "It is my hope that, during this moratorium, we will be able to convince the USPS that there are other options - like my legislation to co-locate post offices so that they remain in your community - rather than simply closing facilities."

Gillibrand noted that In New York, more than 1,000 jobs, 100 post offices and seven Area Mail Processing Centers will continue serving their communities while Congress works on reforming the postal service.

In September, the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to review its mail processing network in the hopes of reducing costs.

The Postal Service is considering the elimination of overnight delivery and studying the possibility of closing 3,700 mostly rural post offices and 252 mail processing facilities across the country.