Forest Service HQ Move

[HunterGatherer]

I wouldn’t say the FS was running like a well oiled machine before Trump’s “reorganization ” but given his track record , I can’t help but think this is just a play for more resource extraction with less regulation and the loss of public lands to private interests over the long term. I sure hope I’m wrong.

 

[wowzers]

I bet 90% of the roads here get cleared by the hound hunters.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

The Forest I worked with had to meet certain stability and erosion standards to keep the roads open (I believe, but don’t know, those were Regional Standards). If they didn’t have the resources to maintain those standards, they had to be closed.

Again, I did not work for the Feds so this next thought might be coming out of my tail pipe….Regarding allowing citizens to clear the roads there may be two issues: (These are questions we had to deal with in the State system.) First is liability. Someone dings themselves with a chainsaw clearing the roads on lands for which the agency is responsible, who is liable? Doesn’t seem like this should be a big deal, but in the world of law suits, it is. Second. Are the folks who would normally do that work unionized? If so, there could be contractual agreements that to be addressed. I do believe that most National Forests have “Friend of the Forest” organizations that might have the potential to address those concerns, but I don’t know that for certain.

Anyways, I’m not advocating, but rather sharing some of the generally unseen complications to managing public lands.

The Federal Government has sovereign immunity. Your hypothetical lawsuit is a non-starter.

The real issue is that the entire federal government is a jobs for votes program. You can’t have people doing things for themselves when the federal government could be paying someone to do it for them.

Ever since the 16th Amendment, the government has turned into one huge graft mill to allow politicians to direct taxpayer dollars to their political supporters.

 

[menhaden_man]

Health..really?...We got an opioid epidemic brought to us by the FDA and big pharama.
1.7 mi people died last year of preventable disease, the average American is on 4 prescriptions...60% of the population is obese, 80% overweight and we spend more on health than any other country on earth. Have you tried to get a Dr. Appt for anything lately, we are so healthy it takes 6 months.
I not going to bring up the Covid shitshow, a NIH developed virus funded by tax dollars. Some of us know the facts and do give credit where credit is due...
Gulf of Tonkin
Operation Midnight Climax
Operation artichoke
MKUltra
JFK, MLK,
Tuskegee Syphilis Study
I could go on for hours, but yeah the government is great!

Let’s not forget the stellar price tag!

https://usdebtclock.org/

 

[Ozarkansas]

The real issue is that the entire federal government is a jobs for votes program. You can’t have people doing things for themselves when the federal government could be paying someone to do it for them.

I don’t think that’s really the issue here, although I know it’s a popular view of the federal government, especially on this site.

I think the real issue is whether or not this change will make the USFS more (or less) effective and efficient, something that IMO we won’t know until a full list of facility closures and the final 2027 budget are released. Currently I can see how this might be beneficial to some western states but I think it’s detrimental to eastern ones.

If this change doesn’t make the USFS more effective and efficient, then it’s just further “starving the beast”, hamstringing the department’s effectiveness to justify further cuts down the line.

 

[Poser]

Apparently, all of the FS wildfire research facilities are to be shuttered.

 

[Customweld]

I bet 90% of the roads here get cleared by the hound hunters.

I know almost all of the trails down here are cleared by the motorcycle riders. They generally get to them before the horse riders do.

 

[mt terry d]

Apparently, all of the FS wildfire research facilities are to be shuttered.

Good. Like wildfires haven't been researched to death long ago while becoming
more of a problem every year.

Logging and strategic clearcutting would end these "fire seasons" that we are now
subject to every year. But doing that would expose just how much of a scam the
"management of our forests" has been. And lots of people would need to get
real productive jobs outside government (< but that's redundant).

 

[wowzers]

Apparently, all of the FS wildfire research facilities are to be shuttered.

You mean consolidated?

 

[mt terry d]

You mean consolidated?

Dammit.
I should have known it wasn't true.
Is the government still closed? Hard to tell anymore.

 

[Poser]

You mean consolidated?

Closing/consolidated. 74% of them will be shuttered.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

I don’t think that’s really the issue here, although I know it’s a popular view of the federal government, especially on this site.

I think the real issue is whether or not this change will make the USFS more (or less) effective and efficient, something that IMO we won’t know until a full list of facility closures and the final 2027 budget are released. Currently I can see how this might be beneficial to some western states but I think it’s detrimental to eastern ones.

If this change doesn’t make the USFS more effective and efficient, then it’s just further “starving the beast”, hamstringing the department’s effectiveness to justify further cuts down the line.

The point with this move is to spread the swamp around the country.

 

[wowzers]

Closing/consolidated. 74% of them will be shuttered.

“Instead of maintaining multiple dispersed research stations with their own leadership, the agency will anchor its research at a single location in Fort Collins.”

Do you expect them to keep open the former offices just because?

 

[Poser]

“Instead of maintaining multiple dispersed research stations with their own leadership, the agency will anchor its research at a single location in Fort Collins.”

Do you expect them to keep open the former offices just because?

No, I expect a failing administration to continue to do failing administration stuff.