U.S. forest chief could have local ties

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Two U.S. Forest Service officials with Central Oregon connections are being mentioned as candidates to head that agency after President-elect Barack Obama takes office, according to environmental groups and former Forest Service officials. The Forest Service chief is a civil servant, not a political appointee, but past presidents have chosen chiefs who reflect their policy goals. Because of that, Obama isn’t expected to retain current Chief Gail Kimbell. Two names that have been floated as replacements are Forest Service Associate Chief Sally Collins, who is currently number two at the agency, and External Affairs Officer Leslie Weldon. Both served as supervisors of the Deschutes National Forest and now work in the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters. But with an abundance of high-profile problems to tackle, it will likely be sometime next year before the next administration chooses a new agency head, according to people in contact with the Obama transition team. After all, Obama has yet to name a secretary of agriculture or the undersecretary of agriculture who oversees the Forest Service, let alone a Forest Service chief. Andy Kerr, executive director of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, said either Collins or Weldon should be in discussion for chief. Collins is an automatic candidate as the agency’s current second-in-command, while Weldon is seen as a rising talent in the agency. Former Oregon Natural Desert Association Executive Director Bill Marlett also said Collins has long been regarded as a future candidate for Forest Service chief....