Jim Evatt wrote:
I presume Jacqueline Buchanan is the District Ranger of the Guadalupe
District. I rather doubt that she has the financial authority to hire
a cave specialist. The decision to replace or create a position is
almost certainly made at a higher level, particularly in light of the
current federal budget deficit. The District Ranger likely submits
requests for positions to be filled, but I'd be astonished if the sole
responsibility for hiring and release of federal funds, discretionary
or otherwise, were made at the local level.
She is the Lincoln Forest Supervisor (that's above the District Ranger)
and she has all the authority she needs to hire positions and spend
money. However, hiring is done based on need, funding, finding a
suitably qualified person and whether any particular position
(especially in a time of strained budgets) is more or less important
than another discipline. I guarantee you the FS does not think a
dedicated cave specialist is anywhere near as important as cavers think
it is. It is a moot point if the funds are not in the budget to do the
hiring. In the grand scheme of things, cave specialists are pretty far
down on the list of agency importance unless perhaps they fulfill a dual
function, and you already know how those kinds of positions work out.
Comments would be better delivered to the District 3 Forest
Supervisor, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (505) 842-3292 in
Albuquerque, or the USFS Chief Thomas Tidwell, 1400 Independence Ave.,
SW Washington, D.C. 20250-0003 (800) 832-1355, or ultimately the Dept.
of Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack, U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC
20250 Information Hotline: (202) 720-2791 . If anyone has the missing
name or email addresses of the above please post.
Won't hurt, but don't get your hopes up.
--
Stephen Fleming
______________
Poor New Mexico! So far from Heaven; so close to Texas.
Manuel Armijo
Governor of the Department of New Mexico
1827-29, 1837-44, 1845-46
