RECREATION EXCHANGE REPORT November 13, 2001 The American Recreation Coalition hosted Dale Bosworth, Chief of the USDA Forest Service, at its November Recreation Exchange. Chief Bosworth opened his remarks to the group by stating that he was committed to having the Forest Service make a quantum leap forward in recreation. He then added, with a smile, But I have no idea what that means. He went on to say that there is a clear need for a different way of thinking within the agency.st century in a vigorous, partnership way, collaboratively with communities, taking significant steps forward rather than just gnawing around the edges of a challenge. I will know what I want when I see it, he said, referring back to his quantum leap goal. The Chief was quick to point out that some of our folks have tremendous vision, but that vision isn t the same across the nation. He praised the work that had been done to develop the Forest Service s recreation strategy, describing himself as a strong supporter. However, he noted, it will take a lot of work to implement that strategy and to have people actually understand what it means. While stating that he didn t want to dwell on the negative, he did observe that the recreation program has many problems, including decreases in funding and deteriorating infrastructure. Every time we talk about recreation as an important national priority, recreation program funding on the ground takes a hit. It has become an embarrassment, with some recreation champions in the agency telling me joking, of course that they can t afford any more national recreation announcements. He called for the agency to respond by delivering on the ground what people want. If we do the job the public wants, we ll get the dollars, he said. Turning to specific issues and concerns, Mr. Bosworth first addressed motorized recreation on the national forests. He stated that there were lots of opportunities for win-wins on the ground. The key to finding those win-wins is the identification of areas where motorized recreation is appropriate, he said. While he believes that motorized recreation should be limited to designated roads, trails and areas, he also thinks that those designations should be decided at the local level. In addition, he emphasized that motorized recreationists should be given access to high-quality areas. There need to be opportunities for world class motorized recreation, he said. Chief Bosworth also discussed recreation fees, noting that they provide a great opportunity to help the recreation program. While he expressed a preference for a national forest system without stickers or fees ( We don t want to look too much like a national park, he quipped), he acknowledged that money wasn t likely to fall out of the sky. In expressing support for long-term fee authorization, he pointed out that the agency needed such authorization to be able to plan. In other areas where less effort had been made, fees had not been supported. He added, But there are areas where we have implemented good programs, have good communications under way, and there are still complaints The Chief then made some frank observations about partnerships. The word rolls off our tongues a little too easily, he said. We need to help people understand what is really expected to be a partner . . . we have to sharpen our skills. He added, With our processes, you really have to want to be a [Forest Service] partner. We need to make it easier to operate. With Congress newly interested in helping improving those processes, he said, the agency needs to take advantage of that interest. One of the challenges, he acknowledged, was the attitude of many within the agency toward business. These agency people prefer dealing with trees rather than people, but even people are better than managing our dollars and cents, he said. He did note that there had been some progress in changing this attitude and that business plans were being discussed and developed. In that context, he also made some pointed comments about outfitters and guides. Historically, they have performed a very, very valuable service by providing outdoor recreation opportunities, he said, citing his own tremendous experience. These are people who really care, he added. These are the kind of partnerships that need to be solidified. There s nothing wrong with making a profit while providing recreation experiences on the public land, he noted. It s good for the businesses, good for the communities and good for the Forest Service. He also praised the WOW - Wonderful Outdoor World partnership and the opportunities it provided to invest in young people. The Chief concluded his formal remarks by expressing his pride in the Forest Service, the work our people do, and his great hopes for the future. In the question-and-answer portion of the program, Chief Bosworth discussed forest roads, the budget outlook, relations with Congress, agency staffing, rewarding innovative staff performance, solving problems in the field, and changing the agency s culture. The Chief noted that he had been surprised by the agency s failure to secure increased funding for forest roads when TEA-21 was enacted several years ago. He emphasized the need to reverse that failure in the reauthorization legislation scheduled for 2003, noting that if visitors can t access the forests in a way that s pleasant, the value of their overall experience is greatly diminished. I want to be successful, he said. It s important. Mr. Bosworth acknowledged that the new emphasis on homeland security could have a negative impact on funding for the Forest Service, but expressed hope that the agency would not lose ground and might even gain ground based on his belief, mentioned earlier, that dollars will flow if the agency provides services that people want. When talking about relations with the Congress, he noted that many Members have good memories of their experiences on the national forests that we can tap into. However, he also acknowledged that the agency tended to overlook the value of reminding Members of their passion for the outdoors and, instead, focused on national forest issues in terms of numbers like numbers of visitor days. The Chief also spoke frankly about agency priorities. Money has to get down to the ranger level, he said. He commented that the headquarters operation had grown too much operated like the first hog at the trough, and lacked a good understanding of the impact of its actions on the field. The problem isn t just the draining of funds from the field to fund D.C. operations, he noted, it s also the creation of work for the field staff that forces them to change their priorities. I want to keep us from growing, he said, and called for both a decrease in the size of the headquarters and regional offices and a new focus on the ground. He also noted the need for him and his leadership team to spend time in the field, to learn about success stories and to identify agency heroes. As part of the effort to stay in touch with the field, he announced his plan to bring a group of Forest Supervisors and project leaders to Washington every four to six weeks to meet first with headquarters staff and then with him one on one to discuss what they had learned. I m optimistic we can do this, he said. In discussing agency relations with local communities, he observed that we have spent more time with communities of interests than communities of place. He then expressed support for what he called collaborative problem solving that would find local solutions to national problems. He also acknowledged the challenge of encouraging staff to try new ideas like trying to push rope up hill. He emphasized that the tone should be set in Washington. Maybe we shouldn t shoot somebody when they fail, he added, noting that it would be better to try to learn something from that experience instead. Finally, he called for a reinvigorated, productive manager-review system that would be used as a means to transfer information and solve problems. We need to have the organization committed to it, he said. I think we can. |