The Forest Service continues to implement the COVID Vaccination Mandate that requires all federal employees to be vaccinated. To date, 97% of all permanent Forest Service employees have completed the online proof of vaccination survey, and 83% have self-identified that they are vaccinated. Providing a safe working environment for all employees has always been a high priority for Forest Service leadership and safety is one of our agency’s core values as well. The COVID vaccination is one the best tools available to protect ourselves, our coworkers, our families and our communities from COVID, in addition to wearing masks and social distancing.  

The proof of vaccination survey was offline for two weeks due to maintenance and data clean-up. As of Monday, Dec. 6, the online proof of vaccination survey is operational again and available for employees to self-certify their vaccination status as soon as possible. The survey data will continue to be reviewed. If you already completed the survey and no updates are needed by you, no action is needed.

Reasonable Accommodation requests submitted for a medical or religious exception are being reviewed. We ask for your patience as these RA requests are reviewed and determinations are made. Please visit the HRM Reasonable Accommodations website (internal link) for additional information.

As shared during the Chief’s Listening Sessions, employees who refuse to provide proof of vaccination, or who have stated they are not vaccinated without either a pending Reasonable Accommodation request pending or an approved exemption request, will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including removal from federal service. Some letters of caution have been distributed and additional letters of caution are forthcoming to noncompliant individuals. Due to the holiday season and to align with other federal agencies, in most cases the progressive discipline process will resume on Jan. 3, 2022.

As we wait for reasonable accommodation requests and enforcement actions to be completed, please continue to follow the guidance provided in the USDA COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan. Current USDA policy requires all employees, contractors and visitors to wear a mask in all USDA buildings and government-owned or leased vehicles, regardless of vaccination status. When working in an office alone with floor-to-ceiling walls and a closed door or driving alone in a government-owned or leased vehicle, employees may remove their masks.