Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has proposed making the chief of the Forest Service a political appointment.
Lee, whose state is home to seven national forests, said the change would make the chief more accountable to Congress while recognizing that the agency’s focus has broadened since its creation in 1905. He introduced the “Forest Service Accountability Act” on Thursday.
In calling for a forest chief nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, Lee revisits a debate that has surfaced from time to time in the Forest Service’s history. Legislation to do so has been introduced in the past but was never enacted.
“From grazing and recreation to timber harvesting and wildfire management, the Chief of the Forest Service has an immense influence on the daily lives of Americans,” Lee said in a release. “It’s time for this position to be accountable to the people affected by its decisions through their elected representatives in Congress.”
