New USFS chief to address climate effects, watersheds. By Rob Chaney of the Missoulian.
Earlier. Gail Kimbell out; Tom Tidwell in as new Forest Service Chief. June 17, 2009
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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.
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Another one bites the dust… In other words: another misdirected, immoral Bush appointee bent on loosening the control of the government on the public lands and handing it to the corporations has got the boot. Gail Kimbell failed to address the greatest threats to the public lands, even though they were staring her in the face. US Forest Service employee morale being one of the agencies own doing. Instead, she propagated a culture of self-promotion and double-dealing. Her memo to the Forest Service employees regarding the recent “best place to work” study, which ranked the Forest Service in the bottom five percent, blamed “outside influences” for the demise of morale. When in fact, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the demise of morale was driven from within the agency itself. With all the re-organizations, outsourcing, favoritism, retaliations, and multiple failed personnel software applications, it’s no wonder that many Forest Service employees, rather the ones that are left, have a dim view of the leadership and integrity of the agency. This agency is broken and a change in leadership could be the first step in a long uphill struggle to redeem the agencies values.
Good Riddance, Gail! Don’t let the screen door hit ya…