Dismantling of the US Forest Service

[BirdMan]

I'm very sorry to have to post this but wanted to bring to everyone's attention that the US Forest Service is being dismantled:

https://www.hatchmag.com/articles/trump ... ce/7716263

Why do we care about this on the 14er site? Well, Google tells me that 48 of the 54 officially recognized 14ers are on US Forest Service land.

Google goes on to say: Approximately 65% of Colorado’s forests are in federal ownership; the primary land manager is the U.S. Forest Service with 47 percent or 11.3 million acres. A map of the US Forest Service land in Colorado can be shown here: https://csfs.colostate.edu/forests-tree ... ownership/

So, what's the plan? First access is limited and then the lands are sold off to the highest bidder? Make our beloved 14ers become like Culebra, where you have to pay to access them? If access is even allowed?

I'm not sure what the solution is and what can be done about this but this seems like a clear threat to the 14ers that all of us here on this site love.

I know this may stir up trouble and I really have no desire to do that whatsoever. I'm just a person who loves Colorado, loves our mountains and wants people to be able to discover them as I have, for generations to come.

[cottonmountaineering]

this and everything else is what the american people voted for, and what the current administration campaigned on.

if you want something different vote accordingly

[two lunches]

in the name of lumber. what a total f***ing tool.

"President Trump has made it a priority to return common sense to the way our government works. Moving the Forest Service closer to the forests we manage is an essential action that will improve our core mission of managing our forests while saving taxpayer dollars and boosting employee recruitment," said Secretary Brooke L. Rollins. "Establishing a western headquarters in Salt Lake City and streamlining how the Forest Service is organized will position the Chief and operation leaders closer to the landscapes we manage and the people who depend on them. This includes supporting our timber growers across the country, including those in the Southeast by prioritizing a regional office and promoting policies that boost timber production, lowering costs for consumers. In the past year we have returned the Forest Service to the leading forestry and fire management organization in the world. Proper forest management means a healthy and productive forest system that provides affordable, quality lumber to build homes right here in America and it means preserving and protecting the beautiful landscapes we are blessed with across this great country."

[BirdMan]

I completely agree CottonMountaineering. You are 100% correct.

[Jorts]

Elections have consequences.

[Monte Meals]

^ "In the past year we have returned the Forest Service to the leading forestry and fire management organization in the world.
Proper forest management means a healthy and productive forest system that provides affordable, quality lumber to build homes
right here in America and it means preserving and protecting the beautiful landscapes we are blessed with across this great country."

I totally agree !

It is SO MUCH better to have the forest timber burn brightly all summer long -
than to manage them - as we used to.

[BirdMan]

Sorry Monte Meals, the quote that Two Lunches lists is just the company line.

Obviously forest management is one thing and I don't think anyone would propose not managing the forests. Certainly it makes sense to try to limit the conditions for massive forest fires. I think just about everyone would agree on that.

However, I don't see how shutting down every single one of the ten US Forest Service regional offices and losing the expertise of the Forest Service staff by moving the headquarters across the county helps with forest management. It would seem forest management is really not the goal at all of these changes to the US Forest Service.

[Monte Meals]

^"moving the headquarters across the county helps with forest management."

Birdman - I stand corrected !
Keeping the US Forest Service headquartered in DC makes SO MUCH common sense
since so much US Forest Service Land is located near there !

[supranihilest]

^"moving the headquarters across the county helps with forest management."

Birdman - I stand corrected !
Keeping the US Forest Service headquartered in DC makes SO MUCH common sense
since so much US Forest Service Land is located near there !

The Forest Service is headquartered in Washington, DC and a forest fire breaks out in Olympic National Forest, Washington state. Local leaders and emergency management call Washington, DC for support. Resources are assigned. The fire is put out.

Now let's say the Forest Service is headquartered in Salt Lake City and a forest fire breaks out in Olympic National Forest, Washington state. Local leaders and emergency management call Salt Lake City for support. Resources are assigned. The fire is put out.

Which is faster, less costly, and less destructive (i.e. has a more positive outcome) and why?

[Chicago Transplant]

The plan also includes closing all of the regional offices, that are located where the forests are...

Region 1: Missoula. Montana
Region 2: Lakewood. Colorado
Region 3: Albuquerque. New Mexico
Region 4: Ogden, Utah
Region 5: Vallejo, California
Region 6: Portland, Oregon
Region 7 (not on the map?)
Region 8: Atlanta, Georgia
Region 9: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Region 10: Juneau, Alaska

https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/co ... al-offices

Don't be fooled by consolidating to Utah, Utah is perhaps the least friendly state to public lands in the entire west and is currently suing the federal government so they can control 18.5 million acres of currently federal lands. For what purpose? Well I and most public lands users have our theory, and let's just say we don't have enough money to buy them when Utah sells them off... Hope you like fences

[Monte Meals]

^"Which is faster, less costly, and less destructive (i.e. has a more positive outcome) and why?"

Utah - by far faster and less destructive.

1) They are physically closer to the problem
2) They have a much better understanding of the forests
3) US Forest Service controls 8 Million acres of Utah land.
US Forest Service control ZERO acres in DC

[Monte Meals]

^"The plan also includes closing all of the regional offices ..."

and the problem is ???

The US debt is 39 TRILLION DOLLARS ( $39,000,000,000, 000 ) your share is $116,000