Document text
SUNNY Temp: 88 °F Wind: SW at 6 mph Thursday, July 24, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend June 8, 2003 Report critical of forest proposal By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune Proposed cuts of the Rogue River and Siskiyou national forest staffs would chop deeper into on-the-ground crews than in the supervisor’s office, according to a leadership team report anonymously sent to the Mail Tribune. "Many employees are concerned about the large number of staff and overhead positions in the supervisor’s office in Medford," it concluded following a May 15 "Strategic Business Plan" meeting involving employees. "The funding that goes into supporting these Medford positions literally pulls much needed funding directly from the campgrounds, the fish, the trails, the trees," it added. "Consequently, employees feel that the forest suffers." But U.S. Forest Service officials cautioned the report focused on only one of a half dozen proposals being considered to meet budget constraints. The goal is to complete staff reductions by 2005. Advertisement "We’re not done — no decisions have been made," stressed Mary Marrs, spokeswoman for the two forests. "No one knows how many employees will be affected at this point." Any reductions in force would include the supervisor’s office staff, she said, noting it’s not yet known how many office positions would be cut. Although no specifics have been reached, the proposed cuts are expected to include up to 25 percent of the 395 permanent employees of the two forests. Agency officials say the problem is directly linked to reduced funding resulting from the steady decrease in logging in national forests in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, they point to the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan, which resulted in a dramatic drop in timber sales. For instance, the Willamette National Forest staff is expected to be cut by up to 100 jobs over the next five years, a spokeswoman said. That forest’s budget of $32 million to $34 million is expected to be cut by a third by 2007, she said. Likewise, the $43 million budget for the Rogue and Siskiyou forests is expected to dwindle in the coming years, officials said. "We’ve been in a downward glide in terms of the financial resources we get every year for quite a while now," Marrs said. "We’ve been managing that decline every year." According to the report, the downsizing of the forests — a proposed cut of 93 staff members — may begin as early as next month. The nine districts could lose up to 82 positions while the supervisor’s office would drop by 11 positions, the report said. In the Siskiyou forest, the Powers district could lose up to 11 employees — nearly half its work force. The hardest hit in the Rogue forest would be the Butte Falls/Prospect districts, where an estimated 32 of 65 positions could be cut, the report noted. Like Marrs, Joel King, ranger for the Prospect and Butte Falls ranger districts, was circumspect. He, too, stressed that it was one of several proposals being considered. "I’m obviously concerned but at the same time I know we need fiscal integrity," he said. "Change always involves risk," he added. "We’ll have to find different ways of doing business, contracting out more jobs." The proposals are part of the changes affecting the forests in recent years, observed Jack Williams, former supervisor of the two forests. "Reorganizations are always very difficult but you have to recognize the reality of declining budgets," said Williams, a fishery scientist who last year became a senior fellow at Southern Oregon University’s AuCoin Institute for Ecological, Economic and Civic Studies. He is "on loan" from the Forest Service under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act. "The budget has been going down for a long time," he said. "It’s not only the budget, but the type of money coming down has been changing. There is less money for traditional programs with more money for programs like the fire plans." Much of the funding comes in the form of grants that must be used for a specific purpose, he said. "The forests down here find themselves with high fixed costs," he said. "Something has to be done to balance the work force. This is an effort to get ahead of the game and be more effective in the long run." Although citing employees’ dedication and skills, he noted the changes are stretching them a bit thin. "Not only are they doing their traditional work but they are doing new types of work as well," he said. "They are being asked to do more work with less people." Some employees are concerned, too, about "outsourcing," in which private firms would take over more and more of the forests’ management, he noted. "They are worried about losing local participation in the agency," he said. "I think it is very important to have local people involved in the agency’s work. If we’re too distant, that can be a real problem." The goal of the strategic plan is to work together to come up with the best way to effectively manage the two forests, Marrs said. "For sustainability, we have to be smart business managers," she said. "We have a fiscal responsibility as federal servants. "But the fact is we have less and less resources available," she added. "We have to work smarter." That doesn’t mean downsizing is easy, she said. "Some of the comments have been very emotional," Marrs said. "We’re working very closely with the union, taking baby steps at this point." The hope is that whatever positions are going to be cut will be through attrition such as retirement or employees moving on to another forest, she said. "We are looking for ways to more efficiently work together," she said. "People have been giving us a lot of input, a lot of alternatives." The final decision on staff cuts will be made by the regional forester in Portland, she said. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times