Here’s what you said, Chief. “The Forest Service has always had a collaborative relationship with the state of Montana, and the governor's statements mischaracterize the facts of our long-standing partnership and how we respond to wildfires safely and aggressively to protect communities.
Chief Moore
You have three months to gather your papers and have a retirement party. Remember to take Brian Ferebee and Chris French and your budget minions with you. Leanne, too. If you forget, we’ll help you.
Your version of collaboration is to inform the States how you’re going to operate and then force them to sign your “Master Agreements,” all of which will come under immediate review.
Unilateral intentional wildfire use outside normal firing ops in direct attack and falling back to the next best ridge are over. So are the foolishly simplistic NEPA documents and FONSIs that cover major federal actions like the 2022 Black Fire in NM.
Your successor will slam on the breaks and force the agency to inventory and disclose the environmental impacts of the past 15 years of let-burn fire management.
Your response to Gianforte and Little was written by Kamala Harris. You’ve seen the stars but you still can’t see the light.
I would be interested in hearing Gov. Gianforte’s response to the Forest Service Chief’s letter, which appeared self-serving and defensive of employees but not necessarily focused on actual problem-solving. If offered nothing concrete from my perspective.
I’m on the outside looking in, but as a citizen who suffered through 2.5 months of massive wildfire and choking smoke in our area, I noticed a lot of self-congratulation among the forest service fire managers, especially in the last month of the incident. Forest Service personnel were gracious and kind to the locals always, but the attitude seemed to shift more to supporting the bureaucracy and employees and less on the mission as time went on. Communication with the community went from non-existent early on, to excellent midway, then quite poor in the several weeks before they pulled out. The costs to our community were astronomical, not just financially but also in the physical and emotional toll on the local humans, animals, and plants.
“The governor and I have spoken multiple times, and I offered solutions and a path forward to resolve any disagreements amicably. Regardless of the uncertainty the governor's letter, news release, and recent video have now injected into this process, I worked with your regional forester and have responded to the Governor in a way that keeps us moving forward proactively. “ i’m glad chief Moore, that the governor of Montana has finally been able to get your attention. It’s not his fault he had to resort to what he did to get it. You should not have ignored him. That being said…
Chief Moore has highlighted this uncertainty that being called on the carpet for being uncommunicative and uncooperative has created. Chief Moore should get over himself. This problem occurred on the USFS side. Apparently Chief Moore sees himself as somewhat higher in the pecking order than the governor of a state. He seems to be acting as if he has the power of a king. Instead of just the humble public servant that happens to be at the head of a executive branch government agency. Four years the forest service has overstated its numbers to Congress regarding fuel reduction in the forest. In other words, the reduction they claim is not the reduction that has been accomplished. The USFS has cooked the books. Congress has warned USFS not to overstate these numbers for decades. Then when these fires break out in areas that the forest service has lied to Congress about how well it has cleaned up its problem, and then wants to shunt most of the cost of putting the fire out, onto the state, everyone will see this as disingenuous. It is disingenuous. When the governor of the state has to go public to get a government agencies attention after trying to get this said attention for more than long enough already, then perhaps it really is time for regime change at the USFS. I’m sorry if I seem as though I may misunderstand this, but the citizens of the country are who the government is to serve. It’s Constitutional. If saving trees is more valuable than saving life and property, then they are doing it wrong. I would interject that I think they are doing it somewhat wrong. If a governor of any state takes issue with the level of protection and cost that the federal government is costing the citizens that he has been elected to govern, he is operating within the public trust, to question this. Chief Moore should show humility, and remember that he too has the very same people of that state to serve and protect. At reasonable cost. From where I sit, the two of those men should be working together as collaboratively as possible to find the very best deal they can get for the public. If I don’t understand what’s going on here, that’s fine. I do understand what it appears to look like to me. I’m not opposed to replacing any appointed or elected government official who doesn’t want to play well with others at all.
Here’s what you said, Chief. “The Forest Service has always had a collaborative relationship with the state of Montana, and the governor's statements mischaracterize the facts of our long-standing partnership and how we respond to wildfires safely and aggressively to protect communities.
Chief Moore
You have three months to gather your papers and have a retirement party. Remember to take Brian Ferebee and Chris French and your budget minions with you. Leanne, too. If you forget, we’ll help you.
Your version of collaboration is to inform the States how you’re going to operate and then force them to sign your “Master Agreements,” all of which will come under immediate review.
Unilateral intentional wildfire use outside normal firing ops in direct attack and falling back to the next best ridge are over. So are the foolishly simplistic NEPA documents and FONSIs that cover major federal actions like the 2022 Black Fire in NM.
Your successor will slam on the breaks and force the agency to inventory and disclose the environmental impacts of the past 15 years of let-burn fire management.
Your response to Gianforte and Little was written by Kamala Harris. You’ve seen the stars but you still can’t see the light.
Carry on. Time is short.
OMG, Frank Carroll for Forest Service Chief -- PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Thank you for this clear explanation!
I would be interested in hearing Gov. Gianforte’s response to the Forest Service Chief’s letter, which appeared self-serving and defensive of employees but not necessarily focused on actual problem-solving. If offered nothing concrete from my perspective.
I’m on the outside looking in, but as a citizen who suffered through 2.5 months of massive wildfire and choking smoke in our area, I noticed a lot of self-congratulation among the forest service fire managers, especially in the last month of the incident. Forest Service personnel were gracious and kind to the locals always, but the attitude seemed to shift more to supporting the bureaucracy and employees and less on the mission as time went on. Communication with the community went from non-existent early on, to excellent midway, then quite poor in the several weeks before they pulled out. The costs to our community were astronomical, not just financially but also in the physical and emotional toll on the local humans, animals, and plants.
OK, let me fumble this political football:
“The governor and I have spoken multiple times, and I offered solutions and a path forward to resolve any disagreements amicably. Regardless of the uncertainty the governor's letter, news release, and recent video have now injected into this process, I worked with your regional forester and have responded to the Governor in a way that keeps us moving forward proactively. “ i’m glad chief Moore, that the governor of Montana has finally been able to get your attention. It’s not his fault he had to resort to what he did to get it. You should not have ignored him. That being said…
Chief Moore has highlighted this uncertainty that being called on the carpet for being uncommunicative and uncooperative has created. Chief Moore should get over himself. This problem occurred on the USFS side. Apparently Chief Moore sees himself as somewhat higher in the pecking order than the governor of a state. He seems to be acting as if he has the power of a king. Instead of just the humble public servant that happens to be at the head of a executive branch government agency. Four years the forest service has overstated its numbers to Congress regarding fuel reduction in the forest. In other words, the reduction they claim is not the reduction that has been accomplished. The USFS has cooked the books. Congress has warned USFS not to overstate these numbers for decades. Then when these fires break out in areas that the forest service has lied to Congress about how well it has cleaned up its problem, and then wants to shunt most of the cost of putting the fire out, onto the state, everyone will see this as disingenuous. It is disingenuous. When the governor of the state has to go public to get a government agencies attention after trying to get this said attention for more than long enough already, then perhaps it really is time for regime change at the USFS. I’m sorry if I seem as though I may misunderstand this, but the citizens of the country are who the government is to serve. It’s Constitutional. If saving trees is more valuable than saving life and property, then they are doing it wrong. I would interject that I think they are doing it somewhat wrong. If a governor of any state takes issue with the level of protection and cost that the federal government is costing the citizens that he has been elected to govern, he is operating within the public trust, to question this. Chief Moore should show humility, and remember that he too has the very same people of that state to serve and protect. At reasonable cost. From where I sit, the two of those men should be working together as collaboratively as possible to find the very best deal they can get for the public. If I don’t understand what’s going on here, that’s fine. I do understand what it appears to look like to me. I’m not opposed to replacing any appointed or elected government official who doesn’t want to play well with others at all.
72 days and counting chief😏👋🏻
Yessir. The list of FS SES employees “retiring” in January is getting long indeed.