Wildfires burned 10 million acres last year and have consumed 7.7 million acres so far this year, pushing firefighting costs on public lands to record levels. Forest Service chief Vicki Christiansen, who took office on Thursday after six months as interim chief, said the USDA agency would spend $2.6 billion on fire suppression “for this historic fire season,” roughly the same as in 2017.
More than four dozen “large” fires covering more than 1,300 square miles are active in 10 western states as 2018 winds down. Rather than fire seasons, forestry officials now often speak of fire years, because wildfires are erupting sooner in the spring and persisting later into the fall. This year included the largest fire in California history, the Mendocino fire, which burned 717 square miles. In an average year, wildfires burn 6.6 million acres of U.S. land.
Christiansen, who started her career in forestry as a wildfire fighter in college, has a 36-year record as a wildland fire fighter and fire manager.
In extemporaneous remarks after taking the oath of office from Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, she said she would stress public service, conservation and wise use of national forests and grasslands, and good relations with state and local forestry agencies. In an allusion to complaints of sexual harassment within the agency, she pledged “a safe and respectful work environment for everyone.”
“It means free from harassment and retaliation, and that everyone is valued,” she said when reporters asked what she meant by a safe workplace. “We are putting down priorities and working together so that everyone understands what it means, and if they don’t subscribe to this goal, there’s probably better places people can work.”
Her predecessor, Tony Tooke, resigned in March amid allegations of sexual harassment. When Perdue elevated Christiansen to interim chief, he said the Forest Service was making “progress with new processes to combat sexual harassment and protect victims from retaliation.” The Forest Service updated its sexual harassment policy last July to require the investigation of all reports of sexual harassment or misconduct.
The Society of American Foresters said on social media, “We believe she’s the strong leader that the agency needs. Looking forward to working together toward safe, respectful work environments for all.”
High Country News said, “Reports of a pervasive culture of mistreatment of female firefighters, including rape allegations, have revealed an institutional pattern of misconduct and lack of accountability in the Forest Service.” Interior Department agencies also have been plagued by charges of hostile work environments.
In August, the USDA announced a new strategy for managing wildfires and mitigating the damage from drought, invasive plants, and insect and disease epidemics. The new approach calls for working more closely with states to identify large areas, covering a landscape, for targeted work that produces high payoffs. It includes removing materials that would fuel a wildfire and setting small-scale fires to destroy hazards that could contribute to a catastrophic fire.
With 32,000 workers, the Forest Service employs one-third of the USDA workforce and is responsible for 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico.