Forest Service (and USDA) News: May 20, 2035: Interim Operational Planning, Whole-USDA Approach to Wildfire, Communication Guidance for Employees

1. Chris French update on interim operational planning

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On May 6, the Chief shared our next steps for implementing interim governance structures and operating plans to ensure we maintain critical services and support. With so much change in the agency and so many folks that are no longer with us, these operating plans are important for us to maintain safety, continuity, and services across the agency. We realize that the organization today must share resources and talent and that all of us may be asked to help out or do work much differently than we did just a few months ago.

Since then, the Chief and I have approved several recommendations developed by interim working groups—many of which are already in the early stages of implementation. These actions aim to maintain essential services, address critical risks, and support the agency’s priorities. Key focus areas with dedicated working groups include:

• employee and public safety
• disaster recovery
• active management (timber/vegetation/fuels)
• recreation
• energy, minerals and geology
• NEPA planning
• grants and agreements
• information technology
• communication and legislative affairs
• fire response (incident management capacity)
• human resources
• law enforcement and investigations
• budget
• Chief Finance Office (payments, billings & reimbursable agreements)
• procurement & property services/contracts, facilities & leasing

It’s important to reiterate that these recommendations are not reflective of, or designed to inform, broader agency reorganization planning; instead, they are necessary to maintain mission readiness.

While many of these actions are still being finalized and embedded within the appropriate staff sections, I want to reiterate what the Chief said in his message—employee and public safety remain our top priorities. To that end, we are proactively dedicating resources to safety systems and programs, including training and qualifying employees with additional safety and risk management skills.

Here are some of the actions underway that will assist our collective efforts and maximize our effectiveness:

• Establishing zoned NEPA/planning operations in Eastern, Mountain, and Pacific regions to improve support for priority projects.
• Prioritizing contracts moving forward to manage recreation sites, such as waste management and purchasing of other maintenance supplies.
• Developing 90-day acquisition, partnership, and capacity plans to prepare for disasters on each administrative unit.
• Integrating national press desk and issues management with region/station staff to provide zoned coverage, enhanced communication support.
• Developing an active management collaboration team and tracking tool to help manage timber and fuels, focusing on FY25 contracts and agreements.
• Defining Casuality Assistant Program/Critical Incident Stress Management (CAP/CISM) responses and prioritizing the hiring of law enforcement and safety officers to address safety concerns.
• Updating public-facing websites and identifying minimum viable information technology and operational support.
• Streamlining incident procurement and prioritizing incidents for on-site support.

This is a significant undertaking, and your professionalism and talent make this work look effortless. Thank you for your continued adaptability and grace as we navigate these changes together.

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2. Secretary of Agriculture Letter on Prioritizing Wildfire

Here’s the Directives part of the letter:

A. I hereby direct all USDA Mission Areas to assess their ability to assist with wildfire response within 30 days. Agency administrators should assess the following:
• Take all necessary steps to ensure employees who can support wildfire response have the ability and leadership support to secure or maintain their fireline or fire support
qualifications (i.e., “Red Cards”);
• Assess all business processes and support systems for contracting and purchasing and identify any additional capacity available to assist with wildfire response during peak
wildfire activity; and
• Prioritize funding to increase opportunities for communities and private landowners to reduce wildfire risk.

B. Given the U.S. Forest Service has the strongest and most prepared wildland firefighting force in the world, I hereby direct the Chief ofthe U.S. Forest Service within 30 days to:
• Identify the impact of the voluntary departures on the firefighting and fire support workforce and propose a plan and timeline to remedy critical vacancies and immediate changes to business practices to ensure adequate resource capability and mobilization; and
• Identify and eliminate all barriers and unnecessary procedures, and make use of all needed waivers, to ensure rapid resource deployment when there are imminent threats to life and property this summer.

At Preparedness Level 3 and above, I hereby direct the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service to:
• Prioritize and redeploy the non-fire workforce to support wildfire response as wildfire activity increases. This will include a necessary adjustment to the agency’s other program work. The agency shall provide updates every 30 days to the Natural Resources and Environment Mission Area on workforce capacity constraints and anticipated impacts; and
• Exercise all available authorities, consistent with prior direction, to ensure the agency is using every tool and authority available to meet the Nation’s wildfire response needs.

Throughout wildfire season, I hereby direct the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service to:
• Prioritize wildfire risk reduction efforts in and around communities at risk of wildfire and, where possible, continue to offer timber volume consistent with EO 14225; and
• Use all available emergency authorities, including those outlined in Secretarial Memorandum 1078-006, to prioritize post-fire hazard tree removal and salvage activities as appropriate.

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I’m having trouble imagining how other USDA agencies can help other than maybe, as the letter says, loaning business and support systems.  Probably NRCS has programs to reduce wildfire risk?  Maybe grassland grain and livestock producers need help developing some kind of POD-equivalents?  Folks at universities paid by NIFA grants could be red-carded? It would be interesting to see how the other USDA agencies respond. Maybe rural development grants are going to fire departments or could?  It feels like it’s imbedding fire functions, at least this season, at USDA. Proactive work in terms of keeping the FS from going to Interior?

3. Secs Burgum and Rollins also wrote a joint memo which basically says that they will work together.

4.  Communications Guidance For Employees

This is a piece by Chad Douglas, Director of the Office of Communication.

The basic principle for both: Only speak for the agency if you are authorized to do so; otherwise, be clear you are speaking as an individual..

We all enjoy sharing stories and opinions about our work. As Forest Service employees, we care about issues that affect our families, communities and careers, just like everyone does. I’ve noticed that because you care so much, sometimes on social media and in traditional media lines are crossed that should not be.

We want interaction with the Forest Service to be a positive experience for everyone, and for that reason, there are parameters around how we engage in both social media and news media.

So, what do you need to know before you post to social media or give an interview?

Social Media

Let’s start with rule one. Be clear you are speaking for yourself. That means you do not identify yourself with your job title. And, if you are posting to social media from your personal accounts, we recommend including a disclaimer within your profile clarifying that the views and opinions expressed on the account are your own. Also, make sure to only share publicly available information. Don’t post, share or speak about information you are privy to only due to your position.

Be polite. Social media can be both a very useful tool and a space that can quickly become overwhelming and contentious. We all know we aren’t going to win any arguments on social media. Even if you’re tempted, always keep in mind that if someone takes offense to what you post, they may report you to the agency. If they do, that could trigger a conduct investigation.

Rule two is simple: Don’t post or share personal social media content during work hours. The Standards of Conduct that apply to all federal employees say that, while on government time, we must make an honest effort to perform official duties. There are exceptions—like during lunch or on your day off—but as the saying goes, discretion is the better part of valor. We should avoid unnecessary risks, sticking to times when we are clearly off duty.

Traditional Media

We all have rights—and responsibilities—in this nation with a free press, as well as guaranteed rights to free speech under the first amendment to the Constitution. If you decide to engage with a media representative in a personal capacity, you should make clear to the reporter that you are doing so and not speaking on behalf of the Forest Service. Nor should you be discussing matters related to your professional capacity in such a conversation. It’s important that there is a clear line between personal experiences or opinions and those tied to your job with this agency.

So, what should you do if you are contacted by the media? If a media outlet asks you to provide information or an interview in your professional capacity, it is important that before responding, your first step is talking to your unit’s public affairs specialist. They have a responsibility to help determine the best way to proceed when coordinating media requests. If you work in the Washington Office, coordinate with the national press officer in the Office of Communication. Everyone else, including line officers, should consult with the appropriate public affairs officer for the unit, region, station, area, or institute. You’ll find this policy in Forest Service Manual Chapter 1650, Media Relations.

If the opportunity to speak publicly presents itself, be careful to avoid partisan political events. If you are a speaker at an event, ensure it is non-partisan. That doesn’t just apply to political candidate events or events on behalf of a political party. It also means any events hosted by a partisan political group.

In summary, no matter the forum, always remember to speak for yourself and not the agency, unless you are authorized to do so.

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