Forest Service Reorg - Progress or Politics

[Laszlo Cravensworth]

Closing a ton of research and development centers:

Forest Service Reorganization | US Forest Service

As part of the USDA reorganization plan, the Forest Service is realigning its organizational structure to strengthen local leadership, streamline operations, and improve mission delivery. The changes include moving headquarters to Salt Lake City, transitioning to a state-based leadership model...

www.fs.usda.gov

Moving regional management to political appointee state directors.

Sarcasm font: If there's one thing citizens of western states love it's their capital cities.

 

[44hunter45]

When I carried a tool bag and essentially lived out of a van down by the river. (A company van driving tech vendor for USFS. ) I had a dream job traveling to the remote SO and RS to service IT. It often meant a 4 hour plus drive one way and fishing my way back home. It took me to very many of the coolest USFS facilities in the Northern Rockies.

My point is that life is gone. It has been diminishing for years, but now it is truly dead. We saw it with the consolidation of NCRS and FSA offices over the years also. This is not just a government problem. It impacts all sorts of service vendors as well. As the service base erodes, they simply cannot afford to play.

 

[GigiBobert]

Between Mike Lee and Utah Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (Cliven Bundy's niece, really!) running the public lands in Utah, we may be headed up shiite creek. Maybe Lee will push Kid Rock for director of the FS state office. He would be required to wear different underwear though! On second thought, Jason Chaffetz may be interested in the job.

 

[quarterhorse]

The move is politics at best. The worst may be helping to achieve an agenda item for those wishing to dismantle the agency.

The DC staff is there to interact with Congress, interpret direction that comes from congress, and align the troops with that direction. They don't go anywhere near the land and wouldn't know a tree if it fell on them. Their job is to work in the DC swamp and try to lead the agency.

I foresee fat travel budgets so they can go between SLC and DC.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Closing a ton of research and development centers:

Forest Service Reorganization | US Forest Service

As part of the USDA reorganization plan, the Forest Service is realigning its organizational structure to strengthen local leadership, streamline operations, and improve mission delivery. The changes include moving headquarters to Salt Lake City, transitioning to a state-based leadership model...

www.fs.usda.gov

Moving regional management to political appointee state directors.

Sarcasm font: If there's one thing citizens of western states love it's their capital cities.

Do we know anything about how state directors will be appointed? Seems like this could be one of the key mechanisms to do a lot of damage..