Forest Service: Management of Reforestation Program Has Improved, but Problems Continue
RCED-94-257
Published: Sep 15, 1994. Publicly Released: Sep 15, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Forest Service's management of the Knutson-Vandenberg (K-V) fund, focusing on: (1) the Forest Service's collection and accounting controls; (2) how the Forest Service plans, implements, and manages K-V projects; and (3) the changes the Forest Service believes are necessary to improve K-V fund management.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture, to further improve management of the K-V program, should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to require district rangers to verify, before approving and signing the original sale area improvement plans and their revisions, that K-V projects listed in the sale area improvement plans are clearly related to needs for mitigation and to enhancement measures mentioned in the environmental analyses. |
Closed – Implemented
The Forest Service revised its K-V handbook (FSH 2409.9) in July 1995 to strengthen its existing requirements under Section 04 to include the verification and documentation recommended by GAO.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture, to further improve management of the K-V program, should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to require district rangers to verify, before approving and signing the original sale area improvement plans and their revisions, that the sale area improvement plans contain the required narrative support for planned K-V projects. |
Closed – Implemented
The Forest Service revised its K-V handbook (FSH 2409.9) in July 1995 to strengthen its existing requirements under Section 04 to include the verification and documentation recommended by GAO.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture, to further improve management of the K-V program, should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to require district rangers to verify, before approving and signing the original sale area improvement plans and their revisions, that documentation (e.g., initials and dates) shows that the sale area improvement plans have been annually reviewed and revised as appropriate. |
Closed – Implemented
The Forest Service revised its K-V handbook (FSH 2409.9) in July 1995 to strengthen its existing requirements under Section 04 to include the verification and documentation recommended by GAO.
|
| Department of Agriculture | The Secretary of Agriculture should direct the Chief of the Forest Service to provide appropriate training to forest and district office staff involved in the K-V program in the Intermountain Region (Region 4) and the Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5). |
Closed – Implemented
The Forest Service has provided the training to the staffs involved in the K-V program in its regions 4 and 5 as recommended by GAO. Each of these regions have an action plan that states that this training will be continued in the future.
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Federal agency accounting systemsForest managementFunds managementGovernment collectionsEmployee trainingInternal controlsNational forestsRecords managementTimber salesTrust funds