Though Rollins’ proposal is aimed at decentralizing the department, it would effectively re-centralize the Forest Service by eliminating its nine regional offices, six of which are located in the West. Each regional forester oversees dozens of national forests within their region, providing budget oversight, guiding place-specific implementation of national policies, and facilitating coordination among the various forests.
Rollins’ memo does not explain why the regional offices are being axed, or what will happen to the regional foresters’ positions and their functions, or how the change will affect the agency’s chain of command. When several US senators asked Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden for more specifics, he responded that “decisions pertaining to the agency’s structure and the location of specialized personnel will be made after” the public comment period ends on September 30.
“decisions pertaining to the agency’s structure and the location of specialized personnel will be made after” the public comment period ends on September 30.
That’s fucked up by itself. They’re making the public comment process even more of a mockery than it already is.
They’re doing the same to the NPS offices as well. Pretty much the entire science wings of the regional offices have been cut down significantly.
I know many don’t understand why there are 6 biologists stationed at a regional office, but many parks only have 1-3 on staff with the smallest parks having none. Being able to send a team of 6 to parks a few weeks at a time to do projects is way more efficient than hiring full staffs at the parks.
Unfortunately they are not even hiring these positions at parks, just leaving them unfilled and duties uncompleted. It’s bad
…and yet the center and conservative wing of the US is perfectly fine to sit there and say “well, we should at least try it we can always go back!” while foundations that cannot be replaced are demolished.
spits on this country, fuck this place, I am ashamed to be born here.
If there are no more park rangers to stop me, that means I can just live in Yosemite and be a vigilante park ranger. 😤
National Parks are managed by an entirely different department. This particular bullshit isn’t fucking with Yosemite.
Specifically, the National Park Service is under the Department of the Interior, while the United States Forest Service is under the Department of Agriculture. They’re totally separate all the way up to the President.
Concern about what happens in National Parks without sufficient ranger oversight is, however, very real.
This is an article about the Forests, not the Parks
Comment?
“Fuck you fascists”.
Capisce
Email this reorganization@usda.gov
I really wish I lived in a world where doing this shit made a difference.
Apropos of nothing:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/99208.The_Monkey_Wrench_Gang
Super easy read, more like YA fiction than anything.
What about the Park service?
The goal of the Forest Service was always extraction. It’s the Parks that we really need…
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