Moore, a longtime employee of the Forest Service, will take the agency's reins just as it braces for the 2021 wildfire season, which officials say could be longer this year due to record-high temperatures in the Southwest and an intensifying drought in the region.
Vilsack said in a statement that Moore, who had been serving as regional forester in the Pacific Southwest Region in California since 2007, "has been a conservation leader on the forefront of climate change, most notably leading the Region's response to the dramatic increase in catastrophic wildfires in California over the last decade."
...Moore's historic appointment follows a series of leadership shake-ups at the Forest Service, whose current chief, Vicki Christiansen, came into the position in 2018 after then-Chief Tony Tooke resigned amid reports that the agency was looking into misconduct allegations against him...MORE
About Tooke's resignation, PBS reported:
The news comes days after a PBS NewsHour investigation revealed a widespread culture of sexual harassment and assault within the agency, and retaliation against those who reported it.
That investigation also revealed claims of sexual misconduct against Tooke, including relationships with his subordinates before he became chief.
The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed last week it had “engaged an independent investigator” to look into claims about Tooke’s behavior.
Anybody know what became of the investigation of Tooke?
No comments:
Post a Comment