New female Forest Service head launches review of harassment, sexual misconduct in the agency

The U.S. Forest Service is implementing what it’s calling a 30-day action plan to address harassment, sexual misconduct, and retaliation in the agency. The changes come weeks after a PBS NewsHour investigation into these issues, especially in the agency’s firefighting ranks, along with the departure of Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke amid allegations of his own sexual misconduct. Interim chief Vicki Christiansen announced the plan on an all-staff call last week, and in an email to staff Wednesday. Recent news reports, she said, had “focused a bright light on a problem the agency has been combating for years” and “made it painfully clear that the policies prohibiting such behaviors are not enough.” Christiansen called the problem a “cultural” one, and said it was time to “really drill down deep” to examine what needed to change. The 30-day plan, called “Stand Up For Each Other,” includes “employee listening sessions,” staged across the country by senior leaders, counselors and civil rights officers to discuss issues of harassment and retaliation with employees. In last week’s call with staff, Forest Service Acting Associate Chief Lenise Lago said these listening sessions would help the agency develop a kind of curriculum to deal with the problem...MORE