General Letter-Writing

There are two major factors that influence how the Forest Service manages (or does not manage) our national forests.  These are: their internal policies and rulemakings, and the policy Congress institutes through lawmaking.  You have a chance to influence both.

Many people are under the impression that our nation’s Federal Agency and Congressional leaders don’t read their mail, but this is false!  Time and again, BHFRA  has witnessed the impact of active citizen involvement in policy-making, and especially through regular letter-writing.  You can make a difference, and here are the people with whom you ought to correspond:

 Mr. Dale Bosworth, Chief

USDA Forest Service

P.O. Box 96090

Washington, D.C. 20090-6090

Ph: (202) 205-1661

FAX: (202) 205-1765

dbosworth@fs.fed.us

The Chief is the number-one decision-maker within the Forest Service.  He helps craft policies and rulemakings, and creates guidance for their implementation once they get on-the-ground at the forest level.  The Chief is also the Forest Service’s “leader”, and has the responsibility of instilling conviction about multiple-use forest management in his employees, along with attending to morale issues.  However, it’s important to remember that the Forest Service (and all other agencies) are public servants, and therefore must hear the public’s viewpoints in order to carry out their wishes.  Write the Chief and tell him you support forest management.

Mr. Mark Rey

Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment

US Department of Agriculture

1400 Independence Ave., SW

Washington, DC 20250

Ph: (202) 720-7133

FAX: (202) 720-0632

mark.rey@usda.gov

The Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment oversees the rules and regulations that govern the US Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) - so, Mark Rey is Dale Bosworth’s boss, for lack of a better term.  Internal policies and rulemakings for the Forest Service are usually finalized at the level of the Under Secretary.  In fact, many individual components of the Healthy Forests Initiative, the Roadless Rule, and the regulations that govern Forest Planning are created at this internal policy level.  Perhaps even more than Chief Bosworth, Mark Rey needs to hear that you support his efforts to continue and improve forest management on national forests. 

President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Ph: (202) 456-1111

FAX: (202) 456-2461

 “President Bush?”, you say.  Yes indeed.  President Bush, whether you agree with his other policies or not, has made a strong personal commitment to restoring the health of our nation’s forests.  In August, 2002, he proposed the Healthy Forests Initiative, which is a series of administrative rulemakings designed to allow the Forest Service to more effectively manage the risks of catastrophic wildfire, insects and disease, and overall forest health.  The President also had a strong hand in crafting and securing a favorable, bipartisan House of Representatives vote on H.R. 1904, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.  Despite the vision and leadership of this Administration on the issue of forest health and restoration, environmental special interest groups seek to discredit, defame, and dislodge proposals like the Healthy Forests Initiative and Healthy Forests Restoration Act.  The President needs your help; let him know you support his forest management policies with a letter or phone call.

Just as important on the list of officials who need to hear from you is your Congressional delegation.  Many people don’t know it, but the Forest Service (and all other Federal Agencies) cannot lobby Congress.  Congress can call upon the Forest Service to answer questions in formal hearings and such, but the agency is forbidden from independently influencing legislation that can affect or enhance their ability to manage the forest.  Therefore, this obligation falls to people like you. 

In South Dakota and Wyoming, our Representatives and Senators have historically had, and continue to exert considerable influence over the course of national forest policy.  The laws they craft form the overriding framework within which the Forest Service conducts their management activities.  Here are their addresses and other contact info: