US Forest Service Responds to Public Concern on Restructuring

I think I can say with confidence that during the average day for most Montana residents, when you look out of the house, work or vehicle window, you have a really good chance of seeing mountains and the forests that cover them.

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We hold those areas sacred; we cherish and nurture them as residents.  We also enjoy them as much as possible for recreation.  But when word comes of possible change to those forests, feathers begin to get ruffled.

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After recent announcements with the US Forest Service, many Montana residents are now left wondering; what's next for those forests and the people behind them.

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US Forest Service Responds to Public Concern on Restructuring

A new reorganization plan announced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) directly affects the US Forest Service (USFS) and those managed forests in Montana and other states.  It isn't just forests at stake either, as certain offices could be consolidated or closed; Bozeman and Hungry Horse research facilities are already listed through the USFS website as ones that will be mothballed.

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The plan (available here in full) has drawn criticism from many, but the USFS is hoping to allay those concerns with a new press release and fact check. The agency took to social media to plead their case, hoping to dispel certain "myths" they say have arisen since the official announcement at the end of March of this year by the USDA.

5 Main Points the US Forest Service are Focusing on and Trying to Dispel

In the press release the USFS highlighted 5 main points that the public have a misconception about and wanted to offer an explanation to; those points include:

• Transfer of Federal lands to the State - "This is not part of the plan and has never been discussed. All federal authorities remain fully intact. No authorities are being shifted, reduced, or transferred. The reorganization does not change any of these authorities."
• State Director a Political Position - "State directors will be filled exclusively by career federal employees. These positions are being created to bring leadership closer to the work and ensure the right span of control over forests and programs. They include the same line authority needed to operate effectively, and those authorities are not being diminished."
• Research Activity will Stop - "The reorganization does not eliminate scientific positions, cancel research programs, or reduce our national research footprint. In many locations, “closure” refers only to individual buildings currently housing small teams. Staff and programs will continue their work, relocated into fewer facilities while maintaining research presence across the country."
• Forcing Employees to Quit or Leave - "This effort is about moving capacity where it is needed most: in the field. Our forests and districts urgently need additional staffing and decision authority to better serve the public and care for our forests and grasslands."
• Reduced Services - "In many cases staff will move to another local facility, service center, or forest office. This reorganization is focused on rebuilding staff capacity at the field level to deliver the work that builds forest health and improves visitor services."

The USFS reiterated in their social media post that they aren't being "dismantled" and that "our teams remain dedicated, and our motto endures: “Caring for the Land and Serving People.”  See their full post here.