New Top Ranger

“What do you know about Dale Bosworth, the new nominated head of the forest service? Part of his last area of responsibility included northern Idaho, and parts of Washington and Montana. I am reading a little about him but don?t know yet what to think of him. Anybody go any dirt on him, or compliments for him?”

“Dam, gal.
"Dirt"? You Idahoans NEVER give those guys in green a break, do ya?”

“Will you bite me on this thread? And please keep your clothing on, thank you.”

“From: MSNBC
BACKGROUND ON NEW CHIEF
Bosworth succeeds former chief Mike Dombeck, who retired on March 31. He will be overseeing an agency with more than 30,000 employees and a budget of $4.6 billion.
Bosworth had been the top federal forest official for the Northern Region, which include northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota.


Prior to that, Bosworth was the top forester in the Intermountain Region and deputy regional forester in the Pacific Southwest Region of the Forest Service. He also has worked as a forest supervisor and district ranger during his 35-year career. A native of California, he graduated from the University of Idaho in 1966 with a bachelor of science degree in forestry.
?MANY OF these roadless areas have high value to the American people as roadless and I believe many of these areas should remain roadless,? Bosworth said during a chat session on MSNBC.com.
But he also felt the Clinton administration had moved ?very fast? to lock up access to 58 million acres of federal forest land. ?How you go about doing something is about as important as what you end up doing. ... we need to have people feel they?ve been listened to and engaged and to be a part of the solution.?
The roadless policy bans road-building in undeveloped areas, effectively shutting off commercial access for logging and mining as well as limiting recreational uses to non-motorized activities.
Bosworth, a 35-year veteran of the Forest Service, suggested the Clinton administration had undermined its own policy by moving so fast.
He also acknowledged that any final decision on roads in federal forests would not satisfy everyone. ?The most you can hope for,? he added, ?is that there?s credibility to the decision and that people who felt like they didn?t get their way at least believe that the process was fair and thoughtful.?”

“Aw fer crap sake. Thought this thread was about Alex Rodriguez. Never mind.”

“OK, so you people, some of whom claim to care so much for the earth, have never heard the name? I would have thought some of you would criticize him just because Bush appointed him. So much for thinking there might be an intelligent discussion. Beam me up Scotty.”

“(Sigh) Okay, I'll bite. Mtn gal, is that article verbatim or did you just post the parts you agreed with?

The Roadless Area Policy was NOT an eleventh-hour policy, as opponents make it out to be. It is a very popular law that was four years in the making, and considered 1.7 million comments and over 600 public hearings before it was enacted. It does not ban logging, nor does it close existing roads.

So, just why are timber companies opposed to it?

a) Virgin timber brings top dollar on the market, and there isn't much of it left;

b) Without USFS-subsidized roads, helicopter logging cuts into timber company profits;

c) Can't log in Wilderness areas, and roadless designation is the lands' first step to Wilderness designation.

Once roads are built, the lands are no longer eligible for Wilderness designation. Forever.

Forever is a long time....”

“Keetn, I didn't edit. I didn?t bring this up to discuss a particular issue. But the roadless area is an issue worth discussion. (Wasn?t that done here before?) The feds did hold the hearings and all but I can tell you that many in Idaho (I don?t necessarily agree with them) feel that they were ignored and that their comments meant nothing. Mr. Bosworth has not made a comment, that I have seen, one way or the other about supporting the roadless policy. He did say that ?The most you can hope for is that there?s credibility to the decision and that people who felt like they didn?t get their way at least believe that the process was fair and thoughtful.? That part I like and it was not achieved by Clinton even if he filled all legal requirements.

There are federal wilderness areas that at one time had roads. I know at least one. But you are right that once there is a road the chances of getting wilderness designation is vastly reduced.”

“I'm opposed to the roadless initiative. And yes, I believe it was an 11th hour policy. Why else did Clinton do it with an executive order then?”

“Chief, this process began in January 1998, when USFS Chief Mike Dombeck proposed a moratorium on road building in most inventoried roadless areas. I don't see that as being an 11th hour policy. And how can the new guy say people weren't listened to? 1.7 million comments is a record and they were overwhelmingly positive.”

“Stop baiting me! And keep those clothes on. Thank you.”

“Does anyone know how Mr. Bosworth stands on the question of ?user fees? in the national forest? More specifically on how the money is used. I don?t mind the fee for a trailhead parking pass if the money is actually used for maintaining that trail.”

“It's far better to have an experienced forester in the office than some whacked out enviro-kook who doesn't know a tree from his a$$hole.

He is on record as opposing the roadless initiative (good for him!).”

“8D”

“I just received this from a friend who works for the FS. This is a letter to all employees sent via agency inhouse email:

...I?d like to share with you what the important work of ?caring for the land and serving people? means to me. I believe that our care for the land should continue to be multiple-use with a focus on stewardship and sustainability of the land, water, and communities.

I believe we can best accomplish our stewardship by looking at what we leave on the land rather than what we take off. With this approach, and through the use of stewardship contracts and other innovative management tools, we can have healthy ecosystems and still produce goods and services.

Serving people means that we?ll continue to involve the public in meaningful ways in our programs, policies, and land management. It also means that we are a world class public service agency and provider of a wide spectrum of premier recreation opportunities...

Dale Bosworth”