We will be accountable for accomplishing our mission. The American people must know they can depend on us. Dombeck, a PhD Fisheries Biologist, former Forest Service fisheries program leader, and most recently Acting Director of the Bureau of Land Management, was appointed the 14th Forest Service Chief by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman last month. Dombeck succeeds Jack Ward Thomas, who retired in November. Prior to that, he taught and worked in research, and was a summer fishing guide in Wisconsin's lake country for 11 years.
Effective conservation begins and ends by working with people on the land.
Timber is not more important than minerals, fisheries and wildlife, or recreation. Nor is wildlife and fisheries more important than timber, minerals, recreation, or range management. In addition, he said the Forest Service will change the performance measures for employees. These measures will allow us to track the health of the land and allow the people we serve to know that we are accountable for our actions. Dombeck announced the creation of a fund to provide grants to field units for Collaborative Stewardship projects that improve the health of the land.