Here’s the response (note, it came within a month, so that’s very responsive!)
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Dear Dr. Friedman:
Thank you for your letter of October 8, 2024, cosigned by your colleagues, to U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, regarding the Forest Service online
employee directory. Chief Moore has asked me to respond.
The Forest Service understands the importance of ensuring public communication with Agency employees, especially those tasked with public engagement. We maintain many different
avenues for public engagement. The public can find local points of contact at fs.usda.gov by searching by unit, specific topic, or function. Staff in local offices can provide contact
information as well. The Agency also uses several local and national social media accounts to engage with the public on various topics. These serve as key access points for information.
Members of the public wishing to communicate specific concerns about Agency projects are advised to use the official commenting methods outlined on each project’s webpage. These can
be found through fs.usda.gov or by using common search tools. This ensures that comments are directed appropriately.
We decided to remove the employee search tool after thorough evaluation. The tool was challenging to maintain, often contained inaccurate information, and duplicated more robust
access points. Moreover, it increased the risk of spam and denial of service attacks on Agency officials.
We believe the current methods of engagement are more effective, better maintained, and responsive to public needs. We encourage those seeking to communicate with the Forest Service
to use these options.
Again, thank you for writing and for your interest in the Nation’s forests and grasslands. If you have any further questions, please contact Mason Lowery, Assistant Director for Internal
Strategic Communication, at (202) 205–6206 or [email protected]. We encourage you to share this response with your colleagues.
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It wasn’t really responsive to our comments, including that NRCS and FS-R&D seem to be able to do it without the same difficulties. Oh well, it was a good try, and we sent positive energies and good arguments into the universe. Thanks to all the signees!
Here’s our letter
October 8, 2024
Dear Chief Moore:
We, the undersigned, are writing to you to express our concerns regarding the loss of the Forest Service online employee directory. We share a common need to connect with Forest Service employees to accomplish our important work with and in support of the agency and its many programs.Even though not always current, the online Employee Directory was helpful for us to find contact information for employees when we already knew their first and last names. While it may seem easy to enter [email protected], for many employees, this formula does not work– because their names are not unique, or because they are known by their middle name, for example.
In comparison, each Research Station maintains contact lists under People. We understand that there are many more employees in the National Forest System. We understand also that there may be safety or security concerns; still, again, for our purposes, physical location is not necessary and many other federal agencies have addressed such concerns while still maintaining accessibility.
We are proud of NFS employees and their work, as much as we are of employees of Forest Service Research and Development and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, both of which are very open about the names, location, and work of each individual. Perhaps there could be another way to alleviate specific safety concerns.
Under the new system, when we want to find someone’s email, without the employee directory, we take other employees’ time trying to find the same information via phone calls and incorrect emails. So if removing the employee directory is designed to save employee time- it isn’t working.
Finally, we believe that trust in executive agencies is based in part on transparency. Removing or impeding the public’s ability to access public sector workers is antithetical to open,
transparent and responsive government, or government for the people. NFS has long worked collaboratively throughout the country with many partner organizations, State agencies, Tribes, and individuals. Accessibility is essential to those efforts.As users of the employee locator, we urge you to reinstate it, if only the link between the employees’ name and their usda email. Thank you for your attention, and all the great work you and your employees do!
Sharon Friedman
The Smokey WireSue Brittig
Sierra Forest LegacyLesa L. Donnelly
Donnelly and Donnelly Alternative Dispute Resolutions
USFS (ret.)Dave Mertz,
US Forest Service RetiredChelsea Pennick
College of Natural Resources,
University of IdahoJim Petersen
Evergreen MagazineFrank Torriello
Interested CitizenRebecca Watson
Former Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals, Department of the Interior and Special
Counsel, Welborn P.C.Peter Williams
Principal and Founder
PBW Consulting and Process Matters Group
Did I miss who was on the signature line? At least it was faster than my letter to Region 2, RF, it took nine months for a response and contained so many inaccuracies it was pathetic! It looked like maybe a “trainee” GS 03, with a mind for imagination…..
Very unprofessional!
Sorry Jim Z, it was there..
Sincerely,
CHAD DOUGLAS
Acting Director, Office of Communication
Well, it was worth a try. Thanks to everyone who helped with the letter.