Forest Service law enforcement takes budget hit

Budget cutbacks at the U.S. Forest Service have taken a big slice out of its law enforcement capabilities. Region 1 forests, headquartered in Missoula, have at least 15 law enforcement vacancies, according to spokesman David Smith. They range from administrative support to special agent in charge – the supervising officer for all of Montana, northern Idaho and parts of South Dakota. Forest Service national spokesman Larry Chambers said the agency has been dealing with consistent cuts as wildland firefighting costs have climbed. Said Chambers: “Over the last decade alone, the agency has been forced to reduce full-time employees in non-fire programs by about 35 percent, as wildfire suppression has grown to more than 50 percent of the agency’s budget. As of today, the agency has 712 full-time law enforcement employees. That number will continue to decrease, through retirements, as the fiscal year 2016 budget stays even with the previous year. This reflects the changes the agency has had to make across all non-fire programs to fund wildfire suppression.”...more

Poor management by the Forest Service results in more, larger and hotter fires, which results in more spending for wild fires and less funds for non-fire programs.  One causes the other.  The poor management is not all the Forest Service's fault.  Congress passes the laws, enviros file the lawsuits and judges (appointed by the President and approved by the Senate) issue the decisions.  The whole thing is a mess and instead of fixing the real problems they want to change how fire fighting is funded.

The Forest Service 2016 Budget Justification shows the agency dropping from 813 full-time equivalent officers in 2015 to 680 in 2016. Jeff Ruch of the federal watchdog group Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility said the decline has been particularly steep in the past two years. And it's taking place when the demand for law enforcement services appears to be increasing. “One thing we’re trying to get out of the agency under FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) is just how busy they are,” Ruch said. “We’re trying to find the numbers for visitation and overnight campers and things like that. The national parks had the highest visitation ever last year, but the Forest Service doesn’t keep the same kind of records or doesn’t display them.”  The 2016 budget report states Forest Service law enforcement will prioritize “responses to emergency and life-threatening situations” with an emphasis on drug trafficking, “particularly in California and along the Southwest and Northern borders.”

Why along the Southwest border?  Its all being put into Wilderness, Wildlife Refuges or National Monuments where they can't go at all or have limited access.  Why would the Forest Service place a priority on policing the border with Mexico when the administration claims its safer than ever?

The National Federation of Federal Employees Local 5300 represents Forest Service law enforcement officers. Its president, Matthew Valenta of Colville, Washington, said the falling numbers are making it tough to get the job done. Forest Service law enforcement officers are empowered to handle all federal, state and local crimes on federal lands.  “We’re basically the police in the woods,” Valenta said. “Our primary focus is resource protection, but we also do vehicle stops, DUIs, timber theft, recreation vehicle enforcement, and crimes against persons. It’s the same as any other officer would do in a county or city.” In a February letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, he observed that “the budget and staffing cuts have greatly diminished the ability of the agency to respond to crimes and the ability to conduct complex criminal and civil investigations ranging from minor infractions to serious felonies such as homicide, rape, assaults, ...domestic disputes, robbery,...gang activity.”

Exactly.  Their spokesman says their top priority is "resource protection" yet they are involved in all kinds of non-resource infractions both on and off federal property.  Those activities should be handled by local law enforcement as authorized and encouraged by FLPMA.

Instead they've built a bureaucracy with their own chain of command at USDA.  And of course the copycats at Interior are doing the same.