1200
Page 1 of 4
FSM 1200 – ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 30
– DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
Supplement No.: R9 Superior 1230-2003-2.
Effective Date: December 3, 2003
Duration: This supplement is effective until superseded or removed.
Approved: JAMES W. SANDERS
Forest Supervisor
Date Approved: 12/03/2003
Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by handbook number and calendar year. Post by document; remove the entire document and replace it with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page(s) of this document. The last supplement to this handbook was 1200-95-1 to Chapter 30.
New Document
Superseded Document(s)
(Supplement Number and
R9 Superior 1230-2003-1
R9 Superior National Forest Supplements
No. 45 (11/81), 46 (9/83), 47 (11/88), 92-1
(1/92) and 95-1 (3/1/95)
04 Pages
03 Pages
Effective Date)
Digest:
Changes designation of acting assignments for Forest Supervisor, Deputy Forest Supervisor,
District Rangers and Team Leaders. The acting schedule for these positions will be delegated by memo at the beginning of each Calendar Year.

R9 SUPERIOR SUPPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 2003
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
1200
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FSM 1200 - ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 30 – DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
1236 – DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY TO FIELD POSITIONS
1236.4 – Forests
1236.41
– Forest Supervisors
Instructions covering authorities and signing practices for the Forest Supervisor’s line officers and team leaders are given below. The organizational concept outlined eliminates the use of
“acting” for heads of units, except as specifically designated in their absences.
1. Forest Supervisor. Signing is reserved to major items and issues involving the entire
Forest, specifically communications to: a. Congressmen and Congresswomen b. Heads of agencies c. Key people and organizations d. Subject matter concerning policy interpretation or requiring a policy decision and correspondence to District Rangers giving direction e. Documents concerning appeals or complaints f. Cooperative agreements and memorandum of understanding with other federal agencies and State authorities, unless the authority is specifically delegated to a team leader or District Ranger.
In the absence of the Forest Supervisor, the above correspondence will be prepared for the
Deputy Forest Supervisor’s signature, if available, or prepared for the Forest Supervisor’s signature with the “acting” signing for the Forest Supervisor.
2. Deputy Forest Supervisor. The Deputy will sign over the Deputy’s name and title for all correspondence: a. Involving functional activities or more than one team leader b. Approving or establishing the Forest Program of Work; i.e., goals, objectives, targets and funding levels. c. Transmitting memoranda to District Rangers for Ranger District management, program or activity reviews.

R9 SUPERIOR SUPPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 2003
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
1200
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FSM 1200 - ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 30 – DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY d. To the Regional Forester and Forest staff on general management reviews scheduling, itineraries and reports e. To the Regional Forester and Forest staff on GAO audits and OIG internal audits. f. Initial requests to District Rangers for special or nonscheduled reports or special jobs that cause a direct impact on district personnel. g. To the Regional Forester, staff and District Rangers concerning changes in approved formal training plans, targets, funding, annual programs of work and travel schedules. (This does not include routine correspondence with the Regional Office or
District Rangers to develop detailed itineraries or make changes in travel schedules.
These items will be signed by team leaders). h. Letters to people outside the Forest Service, which are not routinely handled by staff, and which have overall management aspects and implications, but which do not involve important policy, key relationships or other special situations. i. Approval of training sessions within the Forest Supervisor’s authority when training has not been approved in the Forest training plan, recommendations for training outside Forest Supervisor’s authority. j. Approval of individual work plan forms for Rangers and team leaders. k. All SF-52’s requesting personnel action for new/additional positions and changes to positions. l. Final drafts of Forest Service manual supplements for the Forest Supervisor
During the absence of the Forest Supervisor and the Deputy, team leaders will serve as “acting” for the months specified by memo at the beginning of each calendar year. If the designated team leader should be absent during their term, the team leader for the next month will act or sign.
Should that person be absent, it moves to the next month’s designation.
In those instances where all of the team leaders are gone, the “acting” for the designated team leader will be responsible.
3. Team Leaders. Primary responsibility is for observing, evaluating, counseling and recommending in specific functions. Establishes, interprets and enforces technical operating procedures within existing policy. Team leaders are authorized to sign in all matters in their functional fields over their name and title, except those reserved to the Forest Supervisor or
Deputy.

R9 SUPERIOR SUPPLEMENT
EFFECTIVE DATE: November 2003
DURATION: Effective until superseded or removed
1200
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FSM 1200 - ORGANIZATION
CHAPTER 30 – DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY
It is the team leader’s responsibility to provide a copy to the Forest Supervisor or Deputy of any letter covering a subject which the Forest Supervisor or Deputy should be kept currently informed.
4. Specialists and Administration Section Heads. a. In-service: A team leader may delegate in writing, at his discretion, to a section head or specialist, within his functional field, authority to sign correspondence dealing solely with the functional responsibilities of the position within the limits or previously established policy. b. Out-service: A team leader may also delegate to a member of his staff the signing of communications dealing with the functional activities of the position, within the limits of previously established policy, to agencies or individuals where the maintenance of personal contact is important and appropriate.
Such delegations should be in writing and indicate the title to be used. The title should be a functional title and should not be “acting”.
1236.5 – Ranger Districts, Nurseries, and Job Corp Centers
1236.51
– District Rangers
The District Ranger, or his duly appointed “acting”, is primarily responsible for the execution of all resource management and general administration activities on the Ranger District, with the exception noted herein. During the absence of the District Ranger, monthly “actings” will be designated by memo at the beginning of each calendar year. If the designated “acting” should be absent during their term, the “acting” for the next month will act or sign. Should that person be absent, the “acting” assignment moves to the next month’s designation.
1. Ranger District Personnel. a. In-service: A District Ranger may delegate in writing, at his discretion, to a district employee within his functional field, authority to sign correspondence dealing solely with the functional responsibilities of the position within the limits of previously established policy. b. Out-service: A District Ranger may also delegate the signing of communications dealing with the functional activities of the position within the limits of previously established policy to agencies or individuals