Vicki Christiansen announced today her intention to retire from her position as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. In addition to issuing a news release, she recorded what the Forest Service calls a “selfie video.” (below)
At times during the three-minute video she appeared to be emotional, taking a pause to collect herself. But she got right to the point. Here is how it began:
Hi everyone, it’s Chief Vicki Christiansen. Today, I’m going to share a personal decision that I have made together with my family. I will be retiring from USDA Forest Service in August. Please know what a difficult and emotional decision this is for me. I’ve been a wildland firefighter, a professional forester and a land manager for the last 40 years, and my personal passion is connecting people with their natural resources and serving at the Forest Service for the past 11 years has allowed me to do that in partnership with all of you. Serving with you has been a really special privilege, and it’s the best capstone that I could ever ask for my career.
From Wikipedia:
Christiansen worked as a firefighter in Washington for 26 years, eventually serving as the Washington State Forester. She then served as the Arizona State Forester from 2009 to 2010. She joined the United States Forest Service in 2010 as the acting director of legislative affairs before serving as deputy director of fire and aviation management. In 2012, she served as acting regional forester for the Northern Region, which covers 25 million acres across five states and includes 12 national forests.
Christiansen was named the 19th chief of the Forest Service in October 2018.
Chief Christiansen said she “has been working with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to plan her retirement for several months.” He is expected to nominate her successor later in June.
Chief Christiansen received mixed reviews during the last several months. She has been criticized for her meek appearances before Congressional committees, failing to be a strong advocate to impress upon the legislators that inadequate funds are being appropriated for the Forest Service, making it impossible to make adequate progress in managing hazardous fuels, prescribing burning, and recruiting and retaining skilled firefighting personnel.
Chief Vicki Christiansen 2021 update from Forest Service on Vimeo.
Below is the complete transcript of the video, “lightly edited for clarity” by the US Forest Service:
“Hi everyone, it’s Chief Vicki Christiansen. Today, I’m going to share a personal decision that I have made together with my family. I will be retiring from USDA Forest Service in August. Please know what a difficult and emotional decision this is for me. I’ve been a wildland firefighter, a professional forester and a land manager for the last 40 years, and my personal passion is connecting people with their natural resources and serving at the Forest Service for the past 11 years has allowed me to do that in partnership with all of you. Serving with you has been a really special privilege, and it’s the best capstone that I could ever ask for my career.
“But, the time has come for me to spend more time with my family: my dear mother, who will turn 90 in a few months, my—of course—my children and my grandchildren. You know, they live a continent away in the Pacific Northwest, and I just need to be closer to them. And they have supported me so much throughout my entire career. It’s time for me to give back and to support them.
“I’ve chosen this moment, in part, because I think it’s the best time. There’s never a perfect time. I’d like to get so much more done with you and for you, but there are great leaders that are ready to step up, and in the coming days or weeks Secretary Vilsack will be announcing the next Chief. And I’ll stick around; I’ll spend a few weeks to do a transition with the new Chief once they’re in place. We want you all to know how much a good transition means for the Forest Service and USDA.
“So, think about all that we have accomplished in the last three years: coping with a global pandemic and horrendous fire years, the good traction that has been made in improving forest conditions and really setting the stage to do even more of that work with shared stewardship, and, of course, changing our culture for the better by naming and living our values through This is Who We Are.
“So, thank you for your support and thank you for your incredibly hard work. I am very proud to be one of you and this great mission of the Forest Service will be in my heart forever. It’s been an extreme honor and a great privilege to serve as your Chief.
“Thank you.”
End of transcript.
To see all articles on Wildfire Today tagged “Victoria Christiansen”, click here.
Thanks and a tip of the hat go out to Riva, SR, and Kelly.
Many she enjoy retirement and a thanks for years of public service.
Good Chief. Maybe not great, but it’s a tough gig. Not sure anyone can do great at it. We’ll see if Weldon or Eberlien or some dark horse fare any better.
Never judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. By then you’re a mile away, you have their shoes, and you can say whatever you want to I guess….
Her vision on how to modernize the USFS will be sorely missed. I don’t understand the negative comments. Who from the past are you longing for? Past leadership that supervised the lowest employee satisfaction of any federal agency?, supervised poor management that led to our forests being more dense, unhealthy and fire prone than ever? Poor management that has led to a crumbling road network and fewer and fewer recreational opportunities? Poor management that has led to an ever increasing percentage of the USFS budget being spent on fire with diminishing effectiveness? Past leadership stunk! I hope whoever comes next continues Vickis work of moving the USFS into the 21st century.
Let’s take those questions in order, shall we?
Moving from last to next to last in employee satisfaction isn’t really a bragging point, and that trend started prior to Vicki being named interim Chief.
We haven’t witnessed a wholesale change in forest management under the current Chief, so what are you talking about? Same with road management and other infrastructure. If anything, the backlog of those projects has continued apace. I guess I’m also unclear on how there are less recreational opportunities as well. Maybe some specific examples of where camping or other activities is restricted would help, but those decisions are generally management driven, so…if that trend is continuing, doesn’t it circle back to the WO?
And fire gobbling up budgets? That’s a tale as old as time, and exacerbated by the budget modification that was phased in under…this Chief, who also sat in Committee earlier this year and was basically walked thru a line of questioning that opened the door for her to push for more funding, and she failed to take advantage of that opportunity.
So far as I can see, her work has consisted primarily of instituting programs that appear to endorse the idea that equal outcomes are more important than equal opportunities. Look in any FS inbox if you doubt that. Meanwhile, all the issues the Agency has had for decades are still being kicked down the road. Modernizing the USFS? Hardly. Moving the spotlight and dollars from unsolved problems to highlight other issues makes her leadership a continuation of the status quo, and arguably made things more difficult on field going employees.
Perhaps not so much wishing for a return to past leadership, but more of a hope for moving forward to improved leadership with a view towards passionate advocacy.
another political shill moves on to “spend more time with her family”. I wish the USFS would appoint someone who really was from the trenches, not a carpet bagger from a state agency. We need a leader who understands the complexities of the USFS and the needs of the future. Someone who recognizes the primacy of fire suppression in the 21st century and is tough enough to counterpunch with the politicians.
The Forest Sircus is a hopeless case. We need a Forest Fire agency and a Forest Resources agency. Trying to cram them together under one roof is utter idiocy. We need Congress to recognize a brand new Wildland Fire agency. Sorta like what Trump did with the Space Farce except, this one would actually make sense fiscally and on the ground.
I didn’t think she was a firefighter? What kind of firefighter jobs did she do for these 26 years in Washington?
Fire Fighter I&II, Crew Boss, TFL, Div Sup, long time explosives cord crew member, Agency Administrator. Known her since 1977. One of the best.
Probably for the best. She was not a strong leader.
Better than many. For all the years and all the miles, thank you, Chief Christiansen!
I wish the Chief well in her retirement, and hope the USFS gets leadership with the backbone and vision it sorely needs and deserves.
Apparently “Forestry Technician” you don’t live in Lake Tahoe and have a home like I do Bro near the start of that fire,the Tamarack Fire in July 2021.You USFS personnel let this fire GROW for TWO WEEKS.What the hell were you thinking?….in Lake Tahoe,a Bowl? Its a Basin!
Thanks for your service.