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From: Ken White

Webmaster for NAFSR

Retired MBS - R6

kwhite301@comcast.net

Subject: Fleet color

Comment: The Chief has decided the FS fleet will now be all white. I can remember three (3) other fleet colors - - how many can you remember ??

From: Dick Dow & Naisa Chase

Web designer & Customer Service Rep.

Supervisor's Office

White Mountain National Forest

rdowATfs.fed.us & nchaseATfs.fed.us 603-528-8721

Subject: Dick Alvis.

Comment: Dick Alvis, former Soil Scientist on the White Mountain National Forest, passed away on Saturday, 11/1/2008 in Wilkesboro, NC, at age 85. He retired from the WMNF about 1980, and worked as a contractor for the Forest doing inventory for about three more years. Previously, he was the Region 2  Soil Scientist. He is survived by his wife, Jean, two daughters, and one son. Dick enjoyed caring for a large apple orchard and was an avid sailor.

From: Diane Biedenweg <Dbiedenweg>

Subject: Career path

Comments: I have a son who thinks he might be interested in a career with the Forest Service. Is a college degree a requirement?

Can you get on the job training? What can he do while he is in high school to explore this? Thanks to any and all who take the time to help a Mom with a child who is struggling to find himself.

From: Jeff Ripley <95fireguyATcharter.net>

Subject: old flhb

Comments: Hi: I am with a county fire district in Washington State. We do a lot of wildland fire here in Benton County. I like to collect old fireline handbooks. I'd be happy to pay for shipping costs if anyone has early editions you'd care to share. My address: POB 6123,

Kennewick, WA 99336

Thank you.

From: Charles Mansfield <coyote2ATswcp.com>

Subject: Forest Health and fire

Comments: Dick, Congrations on a surpurb white paper on forest health and fire. This overview has been needed by persons such an myself who have been working this issue. With this paper I can argue from the general to the specific. For example, I knew that the 1980's had been wetter than normal in the Southwest. This led to an abundence of reproduction (particularly in D. fir and mixed conifers) in the Jemez Mountains.

Some of the thickets bordering the NPS land were an impenetratable mix of dead (insect kill) regrowth and new growth between the standing, dead reprod.

The combination amounted to an explosive fuel-air mixture. Cerro Grande is now history. I reported, in my paper "If you go for a walk in the Jemez today - you are going to have a surprise." that beetles were beginning to attack the standing, fire killed timber that remained from the Cerro Grande fire.

If you sat quietly you could hear the munching sounds. One of the conservations groups, Forest Guardians, threatened law suits if the FS tried to log the burned area so the FS gave up. The capitulation was primarily due to the time it would take to go through the courts and begin the salvage operations.

This summer the beetles have begun to swarm out of the fire area and have killed several thousand acres of Pinion pine and Ponderosa pine.

As far as the burn per year statistics are concerned , one of the ex-Smokejumpers has compiled some rough statistics on the Siskiyou NF.

Before 1941 the average burn was around 35,000 acres per year. There had been almost no logging or road building.

From: Webmaster <fsxATwizard.net>

Subject: Chief Bosworth's Letter to Retirees

Comments: Dale Bosworth sent the following letter to all retirees

Forest Service Retirees:

I have told the National Leadership Team and current employees of the Forest Service how honored and humble I am to serve as the 15th Chief of the Forest Service. With the retiree community, these emotions are especially b. Some of you who worked in the Pacific Southwest Region were friends and colleagues of my father. Others of you, from several Regions, Stations, and the Washington Office, helped and mentored me along the way. I feel especially close to you as a group and fortunate to have known and worked with many of you.

As a second generation Forest Service employee who spent a good part of my childhood on ranger district compounds, the organization became part of my life early on. I know that some of you grew up the same way or also spent time on district compounds in your career or lived in remote areas and small communities, so you know what IÕm talking about.

I remember when most of the houses had the old crank phones and were part of a phone system linking the lookout towers and all the administrative and residential facilities together. The system was connected by miles and miles of #9 telephone wire, maintained by Forest Service people like my father and probably many of you. The system was a miracle of modern communication! When you answered after hearing your personal ring, two long and three short for the Bosworths, the voice on the other end would slowly fade away as everyone else on the system picked up to find out who was calling and what was being said. It was probably the largest party line phone system in the world!

One of my early memories was when we lived in Dunsmuir, California, where my dad was the District Ranger. He was on the local radio station periodically to talk about the Forest Service and national forest management. I, of course, would listen, partly because he was my dad and I was proud to be the son of the Ranger, but mainly because my mother told me I had to. It was during one of those broadcasts where he talked about the concept of conservation of natural resources that I began to understand what his life's work was all about. I decided to make it mine as well.

Forest Service employees and their families have always been integral members of their communities. IÕm sure you all have memories about the fire bell ringing in the middle of the night or floodwaters cresting through town. Watching my parents and other district people respond to these situations made a lasting impression on me. I said both my parents because while my mother was not a Forest Service employee, the job of relaying messages on the phone or radio sometimes fell on her when my dad was gone.

Our history of giving Forest Service employees responsibility, with the expectation that they take appropriate individual and collective action without being told what to do by headquarters, is what provides the b foundation that has made the Forest Service the great agency it is.

While I look back on these times fondly, I'm not one that longs for the good old days. To borrow from a quote that I believe came from baseball great Satchel Paige "it is OK to look back -- just don't stare." Although the context is different, Satchel was looking back at what should have been and wasn't, and our look back is at a history rich in tradition and culture. I think the message is a good one for the Forest Service of today.

It is a new era and the Forest Service of today is a modern, technological agency in a modern world. Issues that in the past have been ours to resolve are now highly politicized and the public expects to be part of the solution. Many in our workforce come from different disciplines and backgrounds than most of us did. They bring diversity and strength to the agency, building on the b foundation that all of you provided.

I respect all of you who dedicated your lives to doing the right thing by the land and the agency we continue to serve. I look forward to your advice and counsel as I undertake this job of Chief.

Stay in touch and when you are in Washington, stop in.

/s/ Dale N. Bosworth

DALE N. BOSWORTH

Chief

From: Steve Coady <scoadyATfs.gov.us>

Subject: FS Living History - early uniforms

Comments: The Forest Reserves were created 110 years ago (1891), Gifford Pinchot began his forestry career 104 years ago (1897), and the Forest Service began 96 years ago. For all of this time in history there is a legacy of artifacts to illustrate our lineage. Save for uniforms! Early employees had to purchase their own uniforms, along with pretty much everything else they used. There is a severe lack of period uniforms to re-create this time for living history presentations. If you know of a 1920's, 's, 1940's uniform, field or office, hat or ?, please contact me, Steve Coady, Middle Fork Ranger district, 541 937-2129. As time goes by, these garments become moth fodder in attics. These items, along with other artifacts I have, are used to tell the story of our beginnings, how we graduated from the "School of Hard Knocks - school colors were Black & Blue", etc. I hope you will intrust me with your heritage. thanks

From: Doug LeiszdleiszATjps.net <dleiszATjps.net

Subject: Formation of National Association of Forest Service Retirees

Comments:

November 3, 2000

Dear Associate:

Attached find the Charter, Operational Considerations, and Statement of Principles for our new "National Association of Forest Service Retirees." This is the product of earlier drafts and contributions from many of you. All of the contributions were thoughtful, constructive, and considered in producing the final Charter. Where there were conflicting suggestions, we tried to discriminate in favor of clarity of thought and what seemed most workable in operations, The Charter can be revised as our experience dictates the need. Dues and contributions are tax deductible.

We need financial resources to get started. Regular membership dues are $25 per year, $15 for non-voting associates, and whatever more you wish to contribute. I'm sending this to all that indicated an interest at the Missoula reunion and have email addresses. Our hope is to recruit thousands of members, but that will take time and finances.

I'm asking you to be among the first to join. Please send your check made payable to the National Association of Forest Service Retirees ( NAFSR ) to our Treasurer, John Combes, 13401 Point Pleasant Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151-2449. These dues will carry you through the year . With your timely contribution we can start a more general membership drive. Please join us in this effort!

Doug Leisz

From: FSX <fsxATwizard.net>

Comments: Don't miss the fabulous letters of Baldy District Ranger, Anselmo Lewis, on the History Page.