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Update: Prescribed fire incident in Region 6

November 28, 2022

A picture of Forest Service Chief Randy Moore.
Chief Randy Moore

On October 21st I shared my thoughts with you about a concerning matter where one of our burn bosses was arrested while conducting official work duties. You may be seeing media coverage as this continues to unfold, and I want to be sure you are hearing directly from me.

First and foremost, we are doing everything we can to support our burn boss, Ricky Snodgrass. The matter is still under investigation by local authorities, and an attorney chosen by Ricky, with the help of the Department of Justice, will be representing him. One of our Code and Commitments is that we protect one another, and we will continue to do that here to ensure that Ricky is supported in every way and defended vigorously in court.

As you all know, this is an unprecedented situation. As it continues to play out, I want to personally assure you that Forest Service and USDA leaders are tracking it closely and staying engaged. To that end, I have appointed a Washington Office Fire and Aviation Management leader to act as liaison to guide and support Ricky through this difficult period. I want to reiterate what I said in my message a couple of weeks ago—you will always have my support when you are performing duties within the scope of your employment as a federal employee, and you can expect the same support from your regional and local leadership.

We know prescribed fire is an essential tool in our toolbox for reducing wildfire risk and protecting communities. I want to thank all of you who have worked so hard to get your unit’s programs back online so we can begin prescribed burning at a time of year when we have some of our best windows. You are making a difference by doing the work that’s needed right now—the right work in the right way.

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

https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/leadership/update-prescribed-fire-incident-region-6