These are the last communications on the YFYF project January through June, 2019. The full document can be found here. Beginning on page 2 is a discussion by Ms. Townley on how to revamp the website, and continue it with a focus of "helping and regions that are starting forest planning." After all of the communication about citizens being left out of the process and inappropriate relationship with SVS, Ms. Townley is moving forward with the same citizen exclusion. It appears there are some problems with Ms. Townley's position on page 5, it was advertised incorrectly the first time and she could not be reassigned to the WO (Washington Office) until it was re-advertised. Was it because previously she just arbitrarily renamed her position on her own? Knowing that federal funding for the website would end, a search for new funding sources begin on page 7, beginning with the National Forest Foundation. On page 8 is what appears to be an inquiry into the whole process behind the YFYF project. An interview was conducted with Mark Bethke, forest service Director Planning & Budget, and whose name appears in numerous emails throughout the document. Mr. Bethke pointed to Ms. Townley as having the responsibility to obtain approval for the website and its contents. In the very next statement, it is revealed that using third party websites to host forest service materials is "against policy". This whole arrangement between the forest service and SVS to create a website was against forest service policy. How did it advance so far without anyone questioning that? Although Mr. Bethke stated the forest service logo was removed from the website, it was only after multiple complaints from citizens had been made about it being on there. The person in the WO Office of Communications who allegedly approved this website is never identified. There is a rather cantankerous response by Mr. Bethke when asked if he followed his supervisor's requests to remove items from the website on page 9. In the previous post it was clearly documented that Mr. Bethke's supervisor wanted all material removed from the website and only approved material be posted from there out, something that should be remembered by him. Page 12 outlines funding of the project during the transition to the WO. The upshot of the whole deal is that this project was being elevated to a national level. As of August 30, 2018 it went national, page 18. On the last page, page 20, is a letter from Toni Ruth expressing her concern over a letter to the editor by a local citizen, a records request, and questions about an investigation into the project. Does she not understand that if she is in an agreement with the forest service that all interactions are subject to public scrutiny? Does she not understand that our form of government allows citizens to know what government is doing, or spending? If she had not participated in any wrong doing, then why the concern? Perhaps if she had been forthright from the beginning, advising citizens of this agreement as written in the original agreement, it would not be a concern, but she did not let citizens know. From these records it seems that the idea for this project was the result of a friendships between the forest service and non-profit staff. As a result, without following proper procedure, their idea came to fruition at the cost of almost one million dollars when the forest employee salary is included. This project was also aligned in its mission to promote only one side of how our forests should be used and intended to influence the public on that perspective, all the while excluding citizen input on their perspectives. One could also conjecture that this was all discussed within the High Divide Collaborative, in which the forest service and SVS were members, and then planned for execution during the time of the plan revision. What a perfect time to make an attempt to influence citizens without understanding citizens were not going to follow along with the hatched plan. In spite of how improperly this project was created, and its bias, it is now at a national level, with your tax dollar used for its creation. The YFYF website has been removed and is redirected to the More Than Just Parks website. But everything that was created with your tax dollar is still being used and the videos produced by SVS are available on Vimeo with the YFYF logo. How much is SVS profiting from this? This is how our government works now, it is not based on citizen representation, it is a business oriented, product producing organization that is a result of government relationships with private organizations, the essence of "public-private-partnerships". As seen by this partnership, it is the promotion of philosophy by an entity, not citizen representation. That is how decisions are made, predetermined with planned execution times. Unless all of us start addressing this corruption within our government, this new form of government will continue to be in command.
1 Comment
John
9/4/2019 08:27:27 am
Excellent work. Do not stop.
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