Forest Service Reorg - Progress or Politics

[PapaSmurf]

I don’t pretend to have the answers. Maybe you do.

I would try to move more decision making power back down to the forest and district levels. I would uncombine all the districts and forests that have been combined over the past few decades. I would push for better pay in order to attract a more motivated workforce. I would push to repeal and rewrite the endangered species act in a way where it can be used in a constructive manner, rather than just being used as a weapon by environmental groups that make a living suing the government. I would search for ways for the agency to generate funds so it would be less of a tax burden on the public.

 

[SAJ-99]

I would try to move more decision making power back down to the forest and district levels. I would uncombine all the districts and forests that have been combined over the past few decades. I would push for better pay in order to attract a more motivated workforce. I would push to repeal and rewrite the endangered species act in a way where it can be used in a constructive manner, rather than just being used as a weapon by environmental groups that make a living suing the government. I would search for ways for the agency to generate funds so it would be less of a tax burden on the public.

The eventual move is to privatize all these functions across all these federal agencies. 2027 Budget request below. The fire management dominates the funding obligation. Probably easiest to transfer that $5b to private contractors in the name of “efficiency”. Capitalism baby!

 

[Jules Winnfield]

A big issue is this plan also shutters 50+ research stations in 31 states, risking the dismantling of decades of localized research and data. But hey, if we know one thing is this admin is all about science, the people and doing what is right for the long term....oh wait.....

 

[Nostromo]

There is significantly more acreage in the west though, right? So extending your concern to its logical conclusion would seem to support this move.

(I was happy to see a planned regional headquarters listed for Madison, WI.)

But how many states and national forests is that covering? And what about all of the on going research being conducted out of the various offices including my home state of Michigan? We have some large national forests ourselves and a fair few serious issues for flora and fauna.

This move is more about isolating the NFS for the representatives in Washington. IMHO.

 

[SAJ-99]

Decent article below with comments from retired employees. Some of the comments from them and other employees have me thinking Stockholm Syndrome has taken full effect.

Forest Service organizational shake-up designed to get more money and ...

From the ground up

www.lmtribune.com