On this episode of Chat with the Chief, Tom sits down with Martina Barnes, the district ranger on the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. Tom shares his journey to becoming the twenty-first Chief of the Forest Service, and Martina asked questions that are on the minds of many Forest Service employees.

Welcome, Chief Schultz.

Thanks, Martina.

Appreciate your time today.

Looking forward to this discussion. You know? So first of all, maybe you can tell us about yourself. You know? How long have you been with the Forest Service?

What do you like doing with the Forest Service? What's your responsibilities?

Sure. Of course. I've been with the Forest Service for almost twenty-four years. I've worked in a variety of offices. For the last four years, I've been a district ranger on the Manchester Ranger District here in southern Vermont. It's my dream job.

Oh, that's pretty cool. Well, I know I think you have some questions for me today. We'll kinda go back and forth and get to know each other. And before you know it, I think you're gonna be ready for prime time on this stuff.

That sounds great. That sounds great. So you're you're the first Chief who did not come from, previously or having previously worked within the agency.

Can you describe how you see that as a strength?

I can. I think this is a really interesting question. I think some people have raised concerns that this could be a negative, and I see there's positive elements to this. I think, you know, given my background, I feel like I've kinda touched all three sectors. I've been in the private sector, I've been in the state sector, and then also with the federal government or the military.

So I think that's kinda gives me a a different view than maybe folks that have been in the agency their whole career.

The relationships that I have both inside and outside the agency, I think we can leverage those to help us be more successful. As we are pivoting and trying to be adaptable to the changes in front of us, I think ideally that my relationships can help us be more successful, than if if I was not from outside and had other perspective.

There's concern among how staff cuts might impact how we are able to provide services to the public. How do you see us providing recreation to the public with cuts to our field staff?

This is a really timely topic. As I think about one of the most important things that we do and this is an issue that I, you know, I personally take responsibility for and how we move forward together and collectively. It's gonna require all of us to pitch in to get some of this work done, whether people are at the forest level, at the district level. It's also gonna be leveraging our volunteers. We have a significant volunteer workforce.

On another important issue, firefighter pay, what is being done to make firefighter pay reform permanent?

This issue is something that's front and center for many of us. The current continuing resolution does have a permanent fix in it.

We'll know later this week if that passes, but there is support for this, on both the House and the Senate, and it's in a bipartisan fashion. So, fingers crossed that this will get done in a way that provides the stability that our employees are looking for.

Chief Schultz, thank you so much for taking time today to speak with me and with all four servants of employees.

Thanks, Martina. I'm looking forward to doing this on a regular basis. I think the other piece to keep in mind, I'm looking forward to visiting with you personally in Vermont as well. So over the next thirty, sixty, ninety days, we'll be working on a travel plan for me to come out and meet with employees where they work in the fields.

Thank you today for watching. We appreciate your time. If you have additional questions for me and my team, there will be a link in the Inside the Forest Service that you can submit additional questions to. Once again, thanks for your time today.