JUST COULDN'T GET TO IT WHILE EMPLOYED

There are many of you that do not know who I am or for that matter care and if that fits you just don't read this. For others I have known through the Incident Command System where I participated on a type 1 team for 20 years and a type 2 team for 5 years I bid you farewell. I have had a good run and loved my job. Through the incident command system I have met far more people that have influenced my life than I can write a note to so guess y'all have to get it this way (or maybe not at all). My old White Boots have walked IN both the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans on incidents - once in the same year - and across some of the finest land in the world. Thanks for letting me go along on the ride.

I spent a portion of my career (39 Years) on the Dixie, Kootenai, Deerlodge (before it was the Deerlodge/Beaverhead), Fishlake, Ashley, and the Wasatch-Cache National Forests. I have met thousands of great employees of the Forest Service. I have been blessed to know you and I am a far better man today because of you. Thanks for your friendship and help.

The Forest Service rating of 206 out of 216 as good places to work has disturbed me very badly. I have thought about it for months. I went to work for the BEST FEDERAL AGENCY way back in 1970. I have worked for the BEST FEDERAL AGENCY for 39+ years. I do not believe the Forest Service is a bad agency to work for. I do not know anyone in the Forest Service that dislikes their job. I know a lot of people in the Forest Service that are unhappy with the work arounds we have to do to accomplish our jobs. I still believe the Forest Service is the BEST FEDERAL AGENCY.

I have been honored to be a District Ranger for the past eight years and am grateful that I had the chance to make a difference to the land we are lucky enough to be allowed to manage. This is the only Nation that had enough foresight to set lands aside that is owned by the Government. It really doesn't matter what you think about that but we that get to manage it have a NOBLE occupation.

I never spent one day of my career dreading coming to work---maybe I am daft but I'll venture to guess that most Forest Service Employees can also say that. My final comment is HANG IN THERE---DO THE BEST YOU CAN DO---THIS TOO WILL PASS. As my favorite Ranger used to say KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON - AND THAT IS MY FINAL $0.02!

I thought I published this two months ago----