National Forest System Washington Office has been changing our organization to better to support work on the ground, mission delivery and policy development. As the acting director of Lands, Minerals and Geology, I am excited to announce that the Lands and Realty Management and the Minerals and Geology Management staff areas are now combined. We are moving forward together as Lands, Minerals and Geology.

Combining these two staff groups under one Senior Executive Service director allows us to integrate our work and program management, addressing shared needs such as training, budget planning and oversight, and administrative functions. This merger facilitates projects with lands, minerals and geology aspects—such as carbon capture and storage, energy policy and management and transporting oil and gas through pipelines—that are often high priority and high visibility work for the agency.  

Realignment of these staff areas within the Washington Office matches the structure in most regional offices, where lands and minerals programs are administered by one director area. This consolidation is part the broader, ongoing effort to better integrate programs and to promote cross-pollination as part of the National Forest System Washington Office organization announced in October 2022.

What does Lands, Minerals & Geology do?

Our mission is to provide guidance, oversight and direct service on lands, realty, minerals and geology management, including national training for Forest Service employees. We ensure protection and stewardship of national forests and grasslands by adhering to law, regulation and policy, and we facilitate that stewardship through internal and external audiences.

Managing lands and realty on national forests and grasslands benefits natural resource stewardship, enhances visitor experiences and improves access. Lands and realty programs include both land adjustments (any change in the land base such as acquisitions of land) and authorization of infrastructure on National Forest System land such as pipelines, communications towers, dams and similar facilities.

Minerals and geology program experts/staff members strive to provide professional advice across all levels of the agency. Our collective goal is to ensure, in collaboration with counterpart agencies, that current and future generations of Americans have access to mineral and geologic resources foundational to infrastructure, safety, scientific advancements, technology and other social needs. Program staff promote environmental stewardship and ecosystem management to sustain the viability and productivity of our national forests and grasslands.

Looking for additional information?

The National Forest System Realignment SharePoint site is a great resource for understanding the changes that are underway.

Editor's Note: Provide feedback about this column, submit questions or suggest topics for future columns through the FS-Employee Feedback inbox.