OldSmokeys Newsletter Newsletter of the Pacific Northwest Forest Service Retirees— Summer 2018 President’s Message—Kent Connaughton I thoroughly enjoyed myself during our recent Spring Banquet: treasured friends, fond recollections, and stimulating talk of the changes and progress within today’s U.S. Forest Service. The agency’s purpose and mission, and the many fine people with whom we worked are the foundation for involvement in our Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association. Regional Forester Jim Peña’s address was thorough and informative. I was impressed by the achievements within the Region, and I stand with the Agency as it addresses troubling difficulties of workplace and workforce relations. The accomplishments of our Association over the past year were meaningful. President Tom Mulder represented us during the Chief’s Review of the Region and Station, represented us during the new employee orientation, and personally worked through a careful statement of our Association’s purpose. More than $20,000 in grants were awarded for projects throughout the Region; Charlie Krebs and his grant committee are to be commended. Thankfully, we did not need to use our emergency fund to help fire- fighters and employees suffering personal loss, but we are prepared to do so should the need arise. Success has been assured by the many active volunteers in the field and on the Board—thanks to all who made things happen. We are entering an exciting year. Retirees from across the nation will assemble in Asheville, North Carolina, for a Forest Service reunion this fall. Many of you were involved with national efforts to improve fire funding for the agency, and Ranotta McNair, our liaison with the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, reports success. Our annual Picnic in the Woods, which is our signa- ture event as an Association, will be held on August 10. Your Board has authorized the grants committee to proceed with the inten- tion of awarding at least $10,000 in grants for projects anywhere in the Region. President-elect Rob Mangold has been looking into membership, and has learned that many prospective members do not understand who we are or that membership is open to both ac- tive employees as well as retirees; each of us can help correct that situation. With this issue of your OldSmokeys Newsletter we recognize the need to relieve Editor Les Joslin, who has skillfully produced it for 12.5 years, just as soon as possible. We are working on an effective way to perpetuate the success that Les has made look so easy for so long. Very well done, and thank you, Les! Kent Connaughton In This Issue… Forum: “My“My GoldenGolden OldSmokeyOldSmokey Newsletter”Newsletter” and and “U.S. “U.S. Forest Forest Service Service Faces Faces Major Major Challenge”…………………………………………. Challenge”…………………………………. 22 OldSmokeys News:News: OldSmokey OldSmokey Kent Kent Connaughton Connaughton Relieved Relieved OldSmokey OldSmokey Tom MulderTom Mulder as President as President at Spring at Banquet Spring… Banquet… Summer Summer Picnic Picnic Reservations...AshevilleReservations...Asheville Reunion...GrantReunion...Grant Applications...Jim Applications...Jim Peña...OldSmokeys Peña...OldSmokeys and Secretaryand Secretary Perdue Perdue…… Jerry Jerry Ingersoll...George Ingersoll...George Chesley…Cindy Chesley…Cindy Miner...Tom Miner...Tom Mulder...Robin Mulder...Robin Vora...Jon Stewart...moreStewart...more…………………………………………………………………......33 Forest ServiceService News: News: Interim Interim Chief Chief Vicki Vicki Christiansen Christiansen Challenged Challenged by Agencyby Agency Sexual Sexual Misconduct Misconduct Issues...Fire Issues...Fire Funding Funding Fix Fix for for2020 2020 Wildfire Wildfire Season ...Capitol Christmas Christmas Tree Tree from from Willamette Willamette National National Forest...more Forest...more……………………………………………………………………… ……..88 Feature: ““PioneeringPioneering Lady Lady Lookouts Lookouts of ofthe the U.S. U.S. Forest Forest Service Service”” by Les by Joslin.Les Joslin.………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1010 Changes: Updates toto thethe MembershipOldSmokeys DirectoryMembership……………...…………………………………………………………………………… Directory………………… …………………………………………………………………1111 New Members: IntroductionsIntroductions ofof NewNew MembersOldSmokeys……………..………………………………………………………………………………………… …………………………………………………………………………………………1111 Memories: RemembrancesRemembrances ofof the Recently Recently Deceased…………………………………………………………………………………………………… Deceased……………………………………………………………………………………...1111 Letters: SharingSharings of of Thoughts Thoughts and and News Concerns…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………………1313 Books: “The“The PlateauPlateau ofof Doubt” Doubt” by by Jon Jon Stewart…“Toiyabe Stewart…“Toiyabe Patrol” Patrol by” by Les Les Joslin……………………………………………………………… Joslin…………………………………………………...1414 Uncle Sam’sSam’s Cabins:Cabins: “Detroit“Detroit Ranger Ranger Station, Station, Willamette Willamette National National Forest” Forest ”by by Les Les Joslin.………………………………………………… Joslin.………………………………………..1515 My First Forest Service Job: “In the Bootprints of Helen Dowe: On Devils Head Lookout in 1970” by Dave Govatski……….15 My First Forest Service Job: “In the Bootprints of Helen Dowe: On Devils Head Lookout in 1970” by Dave Govatski…………….15 Visit the Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association website at: www.oldsmokeys.org See Page 3 to Sign Up for August 10 Picnic! OldSmokeys Newsletter — Summer 2018 Page 2 the time for me to surrender the editorial reins and responsibility Forum to another editor—who may well have and may well realize another vision of this quarterly newsletter—has come. My Golden OldSmokeys Newsletter The fall 2018 issue looms. This issue marks the fiftieth Pacific Northwest Forest Service —Les Joslin Association (PNWFSA) quarterly OldSmokeys Newsletter I have produced since assuming the mantle of editor from the U.S. Forest Service Faces Major Challenge late OldSmokey Wendall Jones and cutting my teeth on the Spring 2006 issue. I was barely 63 years old at the time, and in As your Spring 2018 OldSmokeys Newsletter went to press, love with the idea. I’m 75 now, and still love the job even as I U.S. Forest Service Chief Tony Tooke resigned “amid an inves- adjust to the truth that I must surrender it soon to another ready, tigation into sexual harassment accusations against him,” as the willing, and able—albeit yet to be identified—OldSmokey. New York Times phrased it on March 8, and his former Deputy Since it’s not for me to address the quality of my product, I Chief for State and Private Forestry, Vicki Christiansen, suc- reflect here only on its quantity. To do this, I spent a few hours ceeded him as Interim Chief and was left to wrangle the long- counting pages and photos and stuff. By my count, those 50 ignored elephant in the living room. issues contained 1,200 pages. The most pages in an issue was That elephant, known to most in the Forest Service, was gen- 40 in the Spring 2015 edition, and the least was 16. The aver- erally kept out of the public view until a Public Broadcasting age number of pages in an issue was 24. I estimate those 1,200 System (PBS) series turned a spotlight on it on March 1. Sure, pages contained about a million words; indeed, if “a picture is late 2016 hearings on the issue held by the U.S. House of Rep- worth a thousand words,” the 665 photographs published on resentatives’ Full Committee on Oversight and Government those pages easily brought the total “word count” to well over a Reform were reported in the national media and on page 8 of million. I wrote most of those words—either by composing the the Winter 2017 OldSmokeys Newsletter, but it seemed to take articles they comprised myself or by editing the many contribu- the PBS series to force any real action—which included Chief tioons of others—and I typed every one of them. Tooke’s resignation—on this longstanding concern. As far as statistics for the regular sections of the newsletter Rather than delay that Spring 2018 issue with a dramatic are concerned, the Forum page contained 66 editorials written “stop the presses” move to report news that would not be news by the editor and 62 op-eds written by readers. Over the years by the time that issue reached its readers, your editor decided to in this section, both the editor and the readers addressed several focus on the significance of this leadership change in this, the major issues affecting the Forest Service and the National For- summer issue, by introducing Interim Chief Christiansen and est System. There were 627 OldSmokeys News articles, 410 reporting on measures she and the agency have taken and plan Forest Service News articles, and 50 Feature articles. Changes to take to address a vital issue that affects the very future of the usually accounted for about a page. The New Members section Forest Service. Please see pages 8 and 9 for that. Alas, welcomed 405 new memberships comprising either one person “breaking news” is not the forte of quarterly publications. or a couple, and the Memories section remembered the lives of 680 former Forest Service folks; when, after the Summer 2015 As New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote in a edition the PNWFSA Board mandated 16-page issues (an au- March 18 piece on strong school principals being the key to thorization I admit to exceeding a few times), only PNWFSA creating strong schools: “We went through a period when we members were remembered in this section. Letters from many believed you could change institutions