Leading Through Change: Note from Chief Tom Schultz

Here’s a link:

Two thoughts I had:

“new governance models as we adapt to delivering contracts and agreements with fewer staff.”  I hope that these would included increased transparency (without FOIAing), clear accountability for deliverables (and how outputs and outcomes are monitored), and transparency about the accountability processes.

“We are offering lateral opportunities in key mission areas like minerals and geology and active management.”

When it seemed like my skills in reforestation and genetics were becoming unpopular, I shifted into R&D in the WO, and finally, NEPA, through a set of opportunities and encouragement from various folks.  I think of JR especially who encouraged me to apply for the WO-NEPA job, way outside of my wheelhouse, and FN who thought my knowing about science might help.  I wouldn’t be here (judge for yourself if that’s a good thing or a bad thing) except for both needing to switch based on the currents of program popularity, and to the folks who believed I could apply my skills to a different line of work.  As a person whose skills were once in the “active management” camp, I’d like to put in a good word for minerals and geology for expanding one’s horizons and the opportunity to learn new things.

Here’s the Chief.

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Over the past year, we have experienced transformational transition. As you likely know, our upcoming reorganization work is not just a response to USDA restructuring, it’s something Forest Service leaders and employees have known was necessary for some time. This is an effort to optimize our workforce, sharpen our focus, and address fiscal solvency issues that have persisted over the past 12 months.

Given ongoing budget constraints, the agency made hard decisions to not bring back seasonal employees, strictly limit external hiring, and significantly reduce travel. Since that time, many of our co-workers and friends have retired, accepted voluntary separation offers, or left for other positions—leaving gaps at all levels of the organization. Underlying all of this is the anticipation surrounding what our new organization will look like—a process that began during the last administration and continues today.

You know these challenges better than I. You have been experiencing this on the ground and leading from where you sit through this uncertain time. Across government and in the Forest Service, we are experiencing things we haven’t encountered in a generation or more. While we await additional details, it is more important than ever that we meet this moment and convene and engage our teams.

I’ve shared that I believe it is important to listen more than you speak. With that in mind, I want you to know that I’ve asked your leaders to convene calls and spend time with you, whether in small groups or on regional calls. As we work through this transition, I want you all to engage in dialogue to hear and share thoughts, concerns, and ideas. Create space for others to share before you respond.

It’s important to remember that it’s OK not to have all the answers—none of us do. I have asked your leaders to provide stability and compassion.

As Chief, I’ve had the privilege of meeting with many of you across the country over these past few months. Our employees are dedicated professionals, passionate about their work and our conservation mission. Many entered civil service with a clear purpose: to care for the land and serve the public good.

I believe in you, and I believe in our employees.

As I said earlier, our upcoming reorganization work is an effort to optimize our workforce, sharpen our focus, and address fiscal solvency issues that have persisted over the past 12 months or more. What we do to move forward within that new structure is up to us.

As we navigate this time, I ask you to think about how we chart a course through the next chapter of our agency together.

Next steps

In the coming weeks, we may have more information about our organizational structure. In the interim, we are testing new governance models as we adapt to delivering contracts and agreements with fewer staff. We are implementing interim measures to maintain our readiness and deliver priority work around safety, communication, fire suppression, active management, minerals and energy development, and public access. We are offering lateral opportunities in key mission areas like minerals and geology and active management.

I ask you to stand ready to support this effort. Be ready to provide feedback, engage on transition teams, and lead discussions that acknowledge and carry forward the success of our organization.

We are living and leading in a truly historic moment. Years from now, I want us to look back and say we rose to the occasion together. That we navigated this transition while continuing to serve the American people in new, more effective ways.

This time represents both the ending of many things we have held close and the start of a new chapter in our agency. We will lead this work together and rebuild a cohesive, dynamic organization. Thank you for everything you bring to this work, and for your service, as we shape the next chapter of the Forest Service.