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FOREST SERVICE MANUAL
Mountlake Terrace, Washington
FSM TITLE 1200 - ORGANIZATION
MBS Supplement No. 1200-2000-5
Effective June 9, 2000
POSTING NOTICE: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Title and
calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with
this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document. The
last supplement to this Title was MBS Supplement 1200-2000-4 to FSM 1236.51.
This supplement supersedes MBS Supplement 1200-2000-2
Document Name
1221.7
1220.4
Superseded
New
(Number of Pages)
3
---
--4
Digest:
1220.4 – Retains existing direction and corrects numbering to be in alignment with
the current manual.
JOHN PHIPPS
Forest Supervisor
MBS SUPPLEMENT 1200-2000-5
EFFECTIVE 06/09/2000
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FSM TITLE 1200 - ORGANIZATION
MBS Supplement No. 1200-2000-5
EFFECTIVE 06/09/2000
CHAPTER 1220 - ORGANIZATION AND POSITION MANAGEMENT
1220.4 – Responsibility.
There are two levels of management on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest,
the Ranger District and Forest level. To define the roles of management at the
Forest level, the following management roles and definitions have been developed:
Forest Supervisor – The Forest Supervisor is the line officer with ultimate
authority, responsibility and accountability for developing, directing and
accomplishing National Forest programs and objectives, in accordance with
direction received from the Regional Forester.
The Forest Supervisor reports directly to the Regional Forester and participates
with in the formulation of Region-wide policies and directions. As the Regional
Forester's field representative, the Forest Supervisor shares with other Forest
Supervisors the responsibility for coordinated interaction with Congressional
delegations, other Federal agencies, State legislative groups, National and local
interest groups, and the public.
The Forest Supervisor is responsible for translating Regional direction into Forest
policies, programs and objectives. The Forest Supervisor also formulates Forest
policies, programs and objectives.
Forest Leadership Team (FLT) – The Forest Leadership Team consists of the Forest
Supervisor, District Rangers and Principal Staff Officers.
The FLT is a forum implementing participatory management leading to quality
decisions and commitment. It provides a desired model for a management style for
the Forest. Its principal functions are to:
1. Recommend Forest Direction.
2. Develop Forest Policy.
3. Interpret Mission.
4. Establish Forest priorities.
5. Provide a medium for keeping all members informed on key issues.
6. Provide a communication link to all employees.
7. Identify need for future direction.
8. Share responsibility and accountability.
9. Create a management climate of mutual trust and honesty on the Forest.
MBS SUPPLEMENT 1200-2000-5
EFFECTIVE 06/09/2000
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In carrying out these functions, the Forest Leadership Team utilizes appropriate
procedures in developing and evaluating factual data in comparing alternatives and
arriving at preferred actions. In situations requiring final action by the Forest
Supervisor, the FLT will recommend a preferred alternative prior to forwarding the
package to the Forest Supervisor.
Principal Staff Officer – Principal Staff Officers consist of those reporting directly to
the Forest Supervisor.
Principal Staff Officers specialize in the technical aspects of all phases of Forest
Service work. They have primary responsibility for observing, evaluating,
counseling and recommending in their specialized functional area. Responsibilities
of Principal Staff Officers include:
1. Offering advice to the Forest Supervisor, other staff officers and district rangers.
2. Developing and recommending policies, programs and plans in their functional
fields.
3. Formulating and issuing technical directions, procedures, standards, and
guidelines necessary to carry out approved policies and directions.
4. Analyzing instructions received from the Regional Office, commenting on areas
where additional or modified instructions are needed and recommending new
instructions.
5. Monitoring how well programs in their functional areas are being carried out,
reporting deviations from standards and recommending actions to correct
deficiencies.
6. Recommending organization structure for their functional areas.
7. Providing workload estimates and personnel needs for their functional areas,
and serving as primary advisors for distribution of funds after activity targets
have been assigned.
8. Assisting District Rangers in finding and developing qualified people in their
functional areas, including consideration of equal employment opportunity.
9. Serving as supervisors to their subordinate staff.
10. Serving as a full member of the Forest Leadership Team.
Forest Staff Specialists – Staff Specialists report to one of the Principal Staff
Officers. Each staff specialist has expertise in one or more technical or professional
areas of knowledge needed to accomplish the Forest's mission, such as law
enforcement, accounting, economics or soil science. Their responsibilities in their
field of expertise include:
1. Providing technical advice and assistance to all levels of the organization.
2. Developing and recommending policies, programs and plans.
3. Interpreting standards, procedures and guidelines and formulating local
adaptations where necessary.
4. Monitoring performance, reporting deviations from standards, and
recommending action to correct deficiencies.
5. Providing input to programming, planning and budget processes.
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6. Providing technical leadership to other specialists in their area of expertise at
the district level.