The Forest Service is planted elsewhere
According to PARKography, the Forest Service is going to move its headquarters out of Washington, D.C., and over to Salt Lake City, Utah. The move is anticipated to be completed by 2027, with many staffers being asked to move to the new headquarters, but leaving some behind.
The goal is to bring leadership closer to the places where the agency manages. Tom Schultz, Chief of the Forest Service, said, “Effective stewardship and active management are achieved on the ground…not just behind a desk in the capital.”
According to Jason Epperson of PARKography, nearly 90 percent of Forest Service lands are located on the West Coast.
The Forest Service will also reorganize from the current regional structure into a state-based system. Regional offices will be closed under the plan, with the functions moving to the smaller, more localized offices. Further, research facilities, now located in 31 states, will all be centralized in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In the announcement by the Forest Service, one of the more troubling statements was made by Secretary Brooke L. Rollins with a sentence that included, “…supporting our timber growers across the country… Proper forest management means a healthy and productive forest system that provides affordable, quality lumber to build homes right here in America, and it means preserving and protecting the beautiful landscapes we are blessed with across this great country.”
According to the agency, these changes are meant to reduce bureaucracy and streamline decision-making. Law enforcement, firefighting, and land management are said to continue without interruption.
The agency has created a reorganization information page on its website.
National Park Week is also moving
National Park Week is going to be August 22-30 to line up with the agency’s 110th birthday on August 25th and the broader 250th birthday celebration for the United States. Typical National Park Week happens in April. On August 25, park fees will be waived at National Parks that normally charge.
Some costs, like timed entry fees, still may apply, of course. If you already have a National Parks Pass, then it might be better to avoid the Parks during this expected wave of humanity.
More details about the week in Gail Marsh’s story here.
Seeing the forest and the trees
In another news story, I learned that Senators Alex Padilla and John Curtis of Utah have introduced the Save Our Sequoias Act this week, with companion legislation in the House from Representatives Vince Fong and Scott Peters.
Supporters say the bill is meant to help giant sequoia groves recover from recent wildfire damage and better prepare for future threats.
Changes in the way these trees experience fire have led to greater threats, and they only occupy a small spot in the greater scheme of things. The full story can be found here.
I have a particular history with these incredible trees. My mom organized a group to buy and then donate one of the groves to the people of California. If you haven’t seen them in person, it’s a Grand Canyon-like experience—something you have to see.
Do dealerships do routine maintenance? 🤣
Dave Solberg wrote an answer to a reader’s question about whether RV dealerships exercise slide rooms and do any maintenance on exterior seals at all on RVs in their lots. From everything I’ve seen, the answer to that question is an emphatic no.
In fact, I have never ever seen an RV dealership do a routine inspection of the exterior seals of an RV while it’s sitting waiting for someone to buy it and take it camping. I’m guessing there may be a diligent RV dealer or two (not likely) who does inspections. Also, perhaps an inspection is conducted during the pre-delivery inspection right before you go pick up that new rig. But even this may not be as thorough as you hope.
Almost every RV you buy will have a sticker or recommendation to do an inspection of the exterior seals every 90 days or so. This includes seals on the roof and also seals around all the other breaches in the exterior, including things like baggage doors, holes cut for plugs, water connections, and all of that.
Considering that these RVs sit on the lot in the sun, this is pretty challenging for the seals.
Further, some RVs may sit on the lot for a year or two. While no dealer wants to hold on to inventory for an extended period of time, it happens.
So that deal on last year’s model may not be as good a deal if the seals on the exterior aren’t really thoroughly inspected and rain has already started seeping into the RV.
There are a lot of people who advocate hiring a professional inspector even on new rigs, and this is one of the reasons why. It’s also one of the reasons I strongly advocate taking that shiny new rig camping for a few days right after you buy it. The moment you pull it off the lot, that warranty clock is ticking, so those waiting six months for the season to start are literally shooting themselves in the foot.
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RVT1255b
They’re not called stealerships for nothing.
The move is to allow logging of national park land
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Much of it needs to be thinned before it torches off. We can do it, or nature will take care of it.
Yes and that is great news indeed, unless of course you are cheering for more and larger wildfires. I’m not a fan of burning up our forests so put me in the great news column for this one.
my wife and I very much support logging in the forest to keep it healthy as well as support protecting the Redwoods.
To your point about slide rooms, I don’t know any dealership who keeps their inventory closed-up. Everywhere that I have been to the RVs are opened so they show better which means the full slide room and seals are exposed to the elements.
Obviously that’s what they’re designed to do but if an RV sits for a very long period of time this can create deterioration of those seals if they’re not inspected.
Thank you for your “newsletter in a newsletter,” Tony! I find this novel and effective, but perhaps I am being naive. Have a great day and safe travels!