Layers and layers of program information are tracked in the accounting system that do not directly relate to federal financial requirements. Improving the Forest Service's financial performance will require modifying and substantially reducing the information load carried in the management code process. We have already made some progress in addressing concerns regarding the Agency's management and financial condition. But we still have a very long way to go. It will take time before we can address effectively the full range of fiscal and management accountability issues.
Major changes take time.
It will take several years to turn this situation around and we urge the Congress and the Federal audit branches to recognize these major shifts and work with us as we strive to meet the mandate of improving the financial health of the Agency. Combined with the complexity of the interrelationships among our programs and the migration to new information systems, we face a great task, and we look forward to the reward. All of our corporate processes and information must be linked in an integrated, performance-based framework. We will complete a comprehensive report on natural resource status and trends focused around sustainability criteria and indicators by fiscal year 2003. We will also have integrated computer systems installed for use by all employees and all major administrative processes will be re-engineered by fiscal year 2000.