There are a couple of FB sites that are directed at Forest Service people. Both require you to apply for acceptance, but neither really care if you ever worked for the USFS for acceptance. One is overtly political and decidedly left-leaning. The other was started for precisely that reason and tends to avoid the slanted politics and rancor. This article was posted on the political site.

The Superintendent of Yellowstone, Dan Wenk, has been reassigned to the Capitol Region in Washington where he would be in charge of all the National Monuments in the D.C. area including the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and many, many more. Wenk says “he has been forced out of his job by the Trump administration over his wildlife advocacy.”

“A former park service national director, Jon Jarvis, said the maneuver was intended to send a chilling message and make an example out of Wenk.”

What supports the claim that Wenk, the writer, and others are using to show that his reassignment is because SecInt, Ryan Zinke and President Trump are forcing him out over his “wildlife advocacy?” Two examples are given.

“Wenk had been outspoken in his desire to create more space for wild bison to roam outside the park into Montana, a position opposed by the influential cattle industry, which represents a core of Zinke’s constituency. Wenk also raised questions about proposed sport hunting of grizzly bears that are a delight to wildlife watchers in Yellowstone but might get shot when they cross the park boundary. That, too, alienated political conservatives who are hostile toward both bears and wolves.”

Wenk may think that as Superintendent of YNP that he has big juju, but that fact is he has no authority outside the boundaries of the Park. Furthermore, the land outside the Park is USFS (Department of Agriculture) and private. Zinke may have rancher constituents, but not in the Gardner area, where most of the conflict occurs. The controversy surrounding the bison population and their seasonal migration out of the Park has been going on for decades. It proceeded Wenk’s tenure, and it will continue after he’s gone. Ultimately, the bison population must be managed and the issue of bison carrying brucellosis is not going away either.

The delisting of grizzly bears and some level of hunting is beyond the scope of his authority too. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Park Supe would rather not see them hunted, but if the population has recovered, and my tenure in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem tells me they have, then USFWS is finally moving beyond the politics of delisting (it’s been proposed for years), and the states have authority over hunting.

All this to say, just one more example of the different standards this Administration is held to. I worked during both Clinton and Obama Administrations and the heavy hand of both was felt all through my career. Enviros say Zinke and the President want “industrial development” of public lands and that Wenk’s transfer from Yellowstone is proof. Nonsense.

Link

quote:

“Wenk had been outspoken in his desire to create more space for wild bison to roam outside the park into Montana, a position opposed by the influential cattle industry, which represents a core of Zinke’s constituency.

Wow, what a misrepresentation! The "cattle industry" they are referencing include 1000s of small cattle businesses.

https://www.greatfallstribune....-say-bison/99584548/

Sounds like Wenk is a wank. No surprise.

My wife went to graduate school for Geology at U of Florida, and several of her old roommates/classmates/friends from grad school went to work for the EPA, NPS, USGS, etc. straight out of school. A more pro-government control brainwashed bunch of commies you would be hard pressed to find anywhere. The gnashing of teeth and rending of garments has been epic since Trump's election. Every tearful plea on Facebook, every whiny rant about how we are all DOOMED under Trump just makes me smile from ear to ear.

Zinke has made a lot of waves in the NPS, some good, some not so much.

Dan Smith was appointed as the acting Director of the NPS recently. Those in the DC area might remember him as the architect of the Dan Snyder debacle several years ago. Snyder was given permission to cut trees in a scenic easement in return for a sizable donation to the NPS.

Smith was quietly promoted to a superintendent position at Colonial National Battlefield until his retirement. The reinstatement of this criminal to such a lofty position in the National Park Service is a huge slap in the face of honest people everywhere.

Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service? The whiney bitch should be thankful I would think.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service? ...
Jim

Probably not if that person really loves the outdoors instead of the festering hole that is Washington.

Kind of like a fighter pilot who truly loves flying getting posted to the Pentagon. Not everyone loves offices or "promotions".

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service?

Yeah, I'm a little confused by this, as well.

I’m all for the wolf hunts, grizzlys too. He likely considered himself king of his fifedom.

I don’t know all the details, but good riddens.

One word is missing to describe the ranchers' fears; brucellosis. Make it two; tuberculosis. They don't want those diseases in their herds again.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
good riddens.

-10 spelling. Second time I've seen this word misspelled today on the forum.

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service?

Yeah, I'm a little confused by this, as well.

I don't think ANY NPS sup. would consider getting moved from the likes of YELLOWSTONE to some shitty city a promotion. Stop kidding yourselves.

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service? The whiney bitch should be thankful I would think.

Jim

Yellowstone was the world's first national park and is one of the "crown jewels" of the National Park system. Some guys spend the bulk of their careers making their way to a "Y park" (Yellowstone or Yosemite) and yes, park superintendents-- especially in large, exclusive-jurisdiction National Parks-- are one step away from being feudal lords. Getting dumped into DC is a bitch-slap and isn't as simple as "you... you're moving." If it's not something he lobbied/asked for, it was probably a "voluntary" alternative to an adverse action-- demotion, termination. You can't do that to a career employee for spurious reasons, especially at the GS-15 or SES level.

This is more than just going sideways with the new boss.

I don't know who to believe any more.

"Yellowstone National Park's superintendent said Friday that he plans to retire next year from a job he called "the best in the National Park Service" and dismissed speculation that the Trump administration pushed him out for political reasons.

Superintendent Dan Wenk told The Associated Press that he decided last fall he would retire in early 2019 after more than four decades with the National Park Service...

Wenk, 66, said he had not planned to announce his decision to leave so far in advance but went public following recent news reports that said he faced possible transfer to a job in Washington, D.C."

Complete article:

https://www.chieftain.com/news...49-fedbdca997a4.html

Yellowstone boss to retire after Trump agency proposed move

BY MATTHEW BROWN ASSOCIATED PRESS JUN 1, 2018

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Yellowstone National Park's superintendent said Friday that he plans to retire next year from a job he called "the best in the National Park Service" and dismissed speculation that the Trump administration pushed him out for political reasons.

Superintendent Dan Wenk told The Associated Press that he decided last fall he would retire in early 2019 after more than four decades with the National Park Service.

His seven years leading one of the premier national parks have been marked by an explosion in visitor numbers; tension with neighboring states over wild bison slaughters, wolf hunting and grizzly bears; and a sexual harassment scandal involving Yellowstone's maintenance division that echoed allegations at other national parks.

Wenk, 66, said he had not planned to announce his decision to leave so far in advance but went public following recent news reports that said he faced possible transfer to a job in Washington, D.C.

He confirmed that a transfer had been proposed — a possibility that had stoked concerns among conservation groups that Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke was reassigning senior park service staff for punitive or political purposes.

But Wenk said he always understood that as a member of the U.S. government's senior executive service, he could be moved to another job, adding, "I'm not aware of any politics in that decision."

"Coming to Yellowstone National Park was the pinnacle of my career," Wenk said. "I personally believe it's the best job in the National Park Service, so taking any other job wouldn't feel good."

Despite Wenk's statements, former National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis, an Obama appointee, said he thought politics were behind the move.

Jarvis said Trump appointees likely were driving out Wenk because he was an advocate for protecting wildlife that crosses back and forth over the park's border with Montana, Wyoming and Idaho.

Installing someone more loyal to the Trump administration, Jarvis said, would fit with its agenda of removing protections for wildlife such as grizzly bears and lowering resistance to industries such as mining.

Zinke spokeswoman Heather Swift said she could not comment on personnel matters. In response to Jarvis' claims, she said an Obama appointee was not a credible source.

An investigation into 35 reassignments proposed in the Interior Department since Zinke took office revealed that 16 senior employees viewed their moves as political retribution or punishment for their work on climate change, energy or conservation.

Investigators were not able to determine if anything illegal occurred because agency leaders did not document their rationale for the reassignments, according to results of the investigation released by the Interior Department inspector general in April.

Wenk said he was "absolutely concerned" about the impact that reassignments within the park service could have in the short term but compared the disruption to shuffling personnel at major corporations.

"That's no different at the National Park Service than it is at General Motors or Toyota," he said.

In a letter to his superiors, Wenk said he intended to stay on through March 30 to finish his work on several projects. Those include relocating park bison not exposed to disease to Montana's Fort Peck Indian Reservation, working on a long-term visitor use management plan and negotiating several concessions contracts.

Yellowstone, established in the 1872 as the first national park in the U.S., covers 3,400 square miles (8,900 square kilometers). Its spouting geysers and abundant wildlife attract tourists from around the world, putting an increasing strain on its natural resources. More than 4 million people visited in each of the past three years.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said in a statement that Wenk had been "a thoughtful partner to the state of Montana and the gateway communities surrounding Yellowstone National Park."

Park advocates described Wenk as an effective leader who took a strong stand for wildlife in disputes with neighboring states but was willing to collaborate.

"It's our hope that whoever (replaces Wenk) understands the importance of protecting the park and its wildlife, not only the 2 million acres in the park but in the context of the 18 million acres of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem," said Bart Melton with the National Parks Conservation Association.

Wenk began his career with the park service as a landscape architect in 1975. He was superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Monument for 16 years and served as the agency's acting director for nine months in 2009.

Don't let the door hit you on the ass, commie.

quote:

Originally posted by DonDraper:

quote:

Originally posted by Orguss:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimbo54:
Wouldn't being reassigned to D.C. to be in charge of all National Monuments considered to be a promotion by anyone else in the Park Service?

Yeah, I'm a little confused by this, as well.

I don't think ANY NPS sup. would consider getting moved from the likes of YELLOWSTONE to some shitty city a promotion. Stop kidding yourselves.

I don’t think so either, but the point I was trying to make is that the reasons provided are not likely to be the reason they are moving him out. There have been FS Chiefs that I liked and respected, fired after a change at the top. Zinke didn’t make a change immediately, but it became time to make a change. What it was NOT about is Wenk’s wildlife advocacy— that’s ridiculous. This is the kind of thing every Republican experiences when elected President. With Donald J Trump, that experience is magnified many times.

Seems the issue of disease may not be valid.

"Brucellosis is a nonnative, bacterial disease that induces abortions in pregnant cattle, elk, and bison. Cattle brought brucellosis to the Yellowstone area in the early 1900s and transmitted it to local wildlife populations. The bacteria that causes the disease, Brucella abortus, can be transmitted between animals if they come into contact with infected birth tissues. While brucellosis has not had a substantial effect on wildlife populations, it poses a financial risk to ranchers because it can reduce the reproductive rate and marketability of their animals. Billions of dollars have been spent to eradicate brucellosis from cattle in this country. In the United States, Brucella abortus only persists in the bison and elk populations of the Greater Yellowstone Area.
Rates of Infection

About 60 percent of adult female bison in Yellowstone test positive for exposure to the Brucella bacteria. However, testing positive for exposure does not mean an animal can transmit the disease. For example, anyone who received a smallpox immunization will test positive for smallpox antibodies even though they are not infected with the disease and cannot transmit it. The number of infectious female bison that could transmit live bacteria varies from 10 to 15 percent of the population.
Transmission

There have been no documented cases of bison transmitting brucellosis directly to cattle, in part due to efforts by federal and state agencies to maintain separation between these animals. There have been many occasions where elk transmitted brucellosis to cattle. In both cases, transmission is possible and the likelihood increases during late winter when bison, elk, and cattle are more likely to share low elevation grasslands along the river valleys outside Yellowstone.

http://www.buffalofieldcampaig...persistent-mythology