Obama Administration replaces Chief of the Forest Service
The Obama Administration took swift action on June 17 replacing the current Chief of the Forest Service, Gail Kimbell. The Secretary of Agriculture announced the appointment of a new Chief and in the concluding sentence of the press announcement, thanked Chief Kimbell for her service.
Kimbell, in an email to her colleagues at the Forest Service, said that the news of her dismissal was “sudden.” She said simply, “the Administration wanted to make a change.” It did so by appointing Tom Tidwell to assume her post.
Tidwell will become the 17th Chief of the Forest Service and will officially relieve Kimbell of her duties on July 3rd (the position of Chief of the Forest Service does not require Senate confirmation). He brings to the job a total of 32 years of experience working in a variety of positions within the Forest Service, beginning as a fire fighter. His most recent position was Regional Forester for Region One (Montana, North Dakota, and part of Idaho).
With the Forest Service continuing the implementation of the Travel Management Rule and with many forests working hard to complete the process by the end of FY2010, ARRA continues to work closely with the agency in terms of resolving issues such as adequate signage, better maps and outreach to the OHV enthusiast community. Whenever there is a change at the top, we have to remain vigilant to ensure that priorities do not change, especially as it relates to OHV recreation. In other words, we are going to keep a watchful eye on the agency as it undergoes this leadership change.
We wish Chief Kimbell a happy retirement and welcome Chief-designate Tidwell back to the Nation’s Capital. We look forward to the opportunity of working with him to support the agency’s recreation programs.
About ARRA:
Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA) was formed to ensure that Americans are not arbitrarily denied the right to responsibly experience and enjoy the public lands that belong to the citizens of the United States. The members of ARRA, which include horseback riders, personal watercraft users, off-highway vehicle and snowmobile riders, and vacationing families, have joined together to provide input on decisions regarding land use designation, recreation opportunities, and preservation. Its members seek responsible consideration of competing activities, which are based on sound environmental principles.
No alliance member believes that recreation enthusiasts have the right to exclusive, unregulated use of our national heritage, but all oppose land closure or extreme regulation, which denies responsible citizens access to public lands for multifaceted recreational pursuits.
ARRA focuses on the entire spectrum of issues surrounding the Crisis of Closure. We work with the Administration and its agencies, Congress, local governmental representatives and most importantly, the citizens who care about maintaining access to public lands and waterways for outdoor recreational activities.
ARRA also serves as a central clearinghouse for the many like-minded initiatives and individuals who fight for fundamental fairness in public land designation and recreation opportunity.
ARRA can be found at: www.arra-access.com
Category: Access Issues, Political Arena
