Northern Region’s Kimbell to Replace Bosworth as Forest Service Chief. Headwaters News as republished in New West.
I’m not sure what this means. A new chief forester can mean a new direction, but not usually unless the Administration changes (as it did from the “Bush the Greater” to Clinton in 1993, and then again in 2001 from Clinton to “Bush the lesser).” There was a sea change at these periods.
Posted new story on this appointment Jan. 13. Missoulian to become 1st female forest chief. Kimbell replaces another Montanan as Forest Service head. By Noelle Straub. Billings Gazette Washington Bureau.
As one post indicated (backed up by this story), Kimbell is an advocate of access fees. In the story above Democratic Senator Max Baucus of Montana said,
“While I’m pleased a Montanan has been picked for this important job, I’m concerned about Gail’s willingness to charge additional fees to access public lands,” Baucus said in a statement. “That’s a wrong approach. I hope she backs away from plans that would limit Montanans’ access to public lands for hunting, fishing and recreation.”
Jan. 13. Randy Stapilus, an astute political observer of Pacific Northwest Politics has further comments on Kimbell. “Into the fire.“
Jan. 15. Over at Demarcated Landscapes there is more news on Kimbell, More news emerging on new Forest Service Chief” (and it doesn’t look good)
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project and the creator of The Wildlife News.
Not good news. If you like fees and “Healthy Forests”, she’s your girl.
Via AP:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Kimbell has shown she is “inclined to raise fees, close campgrounds and otherwise make it harder for people to access their lands to raise revenue.”
“Kimbell, who before her appointment supervised national forests through northern Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas, helped develop President Bush’s “healthy forests” program widely criticized by environmentalists as a giveaway to logging companies.”
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/16450085.htm
Demarcated Landscapes has another update of this story as well — it is a letter to Kimbell from a former colleague of her that describes her retaliation of whistleblowers on the Bighorn NF, who were later very well compensated for what they suffered under Kimbell. It’s scary reading.