Former IFG official named Forest Service chief
The Idaho Forest Group Moyie Springs Mill sources its timber from the U.S. Forest Service, an agency that recently terminated several North Idaho environmental resource technicians involved in the complex sale process.
Photo by NED NEWTON
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Feb. 27 that Tom Schultz, former Idaho Forest Group vice-president of resources and government affairs, will be the 21st U.S. Forest Service chief.
“Tom is the right person to lead the Forest Service right now, and I know he will fight every day to restore America’s national forests,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in a USDA press release. “Together, Tom and the incredible employees at the Forest Service will work to execute the agenda of President Donald J. Trump to make America’s forests healthy and productive again.”
Before taking office, President Trump appointed Idahoan Michael Boren, co-founder of financial technology company Clearwater Analytics, to serve as the USDA undersecretary for natural resources and environment. He was set to serve under Schultz, who was appointed chief of natural resources and environment on Jan. 24. He previously worked with IFG for seven years.
“The appointment of Tom Schultz, an Idahoan, to such an important position for Idaho and the West signals the Trump administration’s continued support for how we do things here in Idaho,” stated Gov. Brad Little in a Feb. 27 press release. “Forty percent of our state is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and Idaho will greatly benefit from having Mike Boren and Tom Schultz help carry out President Trump’s vision to boldly transform how wildfire and forests are managed across the West.”
In the USDA press release, Schultz and other federal officials listed workforce optimization and productivity as points of emphasis for the Forest Service moving forward.
Workforce optimization has already begun in North Idaho, with multiple regional officials confirming that 37 Idaho Panhandle National Forest employees were terminated mid-February. Among them, 15 were fired in Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry. Locally, most were outdoor recreation trail crewmembers.
"I will work tirelessly to further support and protect our rural communities," Schultz said. "Working with our partners, we will actively manage national forests and grasslands, increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and suppress wildfires with all available resources emphasizing safety and the importance of protecting resource values."
Multiple regional officials confirmed that environmental resource technicians across various agencies involved in facilitating timber sales have been laid off in North Idaho this month, leading them to believe regulations will be cut to counteract the personnel loss.
Around the same time as the layoffs took place, the Forest Service’s timber target for Region 1 — which includes 12 national forests in North Idaho, Montana and northeastern Washington — increased by 50 million board feet for the next year, said Idaho Conservation League Panhandle Director Brad Smith.
In the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, which typically sells around 85 million board feet annually, the increase equates to about eight million.
“On its face it doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you are simultaneously making staff reductions with people who go out and cruise timber, it’s hard to imagine how the Forest Service is going to hit its timber target,” Smith said. “If you reduce regulations, there’s an argument that you can get more done. But the tradeoff is the environmental impacts that would be overlooked.”