Show Forest Service Efforts For Quality Resource Management Explained Announcement was made to today today today to- to day by Vern Hamre Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region of the Forest Service that action is being taken to try to maintain quality resource management within the current budget New legislation resulting from growing environmental concern requires increased planning and Interdisciplinary studies to improve the quality of National Forest manage manage- ment At the same time forest use has Increased While our budgets have remained fairly constant the cost of ness has gone higher Mr Hamre explained that itis it itis itis is necessary to reduce overhead overhead overhead over over- head staffing as one action to cut costs In line with this action a significant reduction will be made in Ogden Regional Office personnel A study Is Isnow isnow isnow now underway on the consolidation consolida consolida- tion of some National Forest Supervisors' Supervisors Offices Staffing reductions will be attained primarily primarily primarily marily through normal attrition over the next several months During the last two years the number of Ranger Districts in the Intermountain Region has been reduced from to 94 through consolidation said Mr Hamre We Ie have moved in this direction In order to improve resource management effectiveness and efficiency Larger ranger districts require a larger proportion of staffing to perform the overhead and management functions Studies of Forest consolidations consolidations consolidations consolida consolida- and reduction in Ogden Regional Office staffing are aimed at getting more dollars and personnel for on the on-the- the ground work such as campground campground campground camp camp- ground maintenance and cleanup clean clean- up winter sports administration tion timber sales livestock range management watershed improvement and wildlife man man- |