 VOLUME 62 NO. 4— September - October 2003 |
No
matter the administration, the person who becomes the “under secretary
for natural resources and environment” never labors in obscurity. The
job of overseeing millions of acres of forest and the largest conservation
effort in the nation is a lightning rod for criticism.
Mark Rey, the current occupant, is no exception. The media is fond of describing him as “a former timber lobbyist,” as though that past experience explains everything. Rey takes it in stride. “Everyone else does the work. I just get the bad press. It’s actually pretty easy. I start with the assumption that if I can avoid being fired by the Congress or the Secretary I will have exceeded the performance of some of my predecessors.”
Indeed, Rey brings far more to the job than just his experience with the paper and forest industries. Although a native of Canton, Ohio, he holds a Master of Science degree in natural resources policy and administration and two undergraduate degrees, one in forestry and one in wildlife management, all from the University of Michigan. In addition, his first job was a temporary position with the U.S. Department of the Interior in Billings, Mont.
“When I graduated I wanted to work for the Bureau of Land Management or the U.S. Forest Service, but the hiring freezes of the mid-70s, coupled with returning Vietnam Veterans, made those jobs hard to come by,” he said. Instead he held various positions with resource industries until 1995 when he joined the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. That Committee oversees national forest policy and Forest Service administration.
How did this Buckeye from the suburbs develop a life-long passion for the great outdoors? “Scouting. I was an Eagle Scout,“ Rey said, a seven to eight year undertaking. During his freshman year at Michigan Rey assisted a fledgling scout troop in Ann Arbor, helping them get established.
Still, that is a long way from his role today as one of the point-men for President George W. Bush’s Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI), a long-term plan to restore forest health through hands-on management to reduce the effects of drought, disease, and insect infestation which all contribute to catastrophic fires. The plan also calls for legislative changes, which have cleared the U.S. House of Representatives and are still under consideration by the Senate.
Far from being Rey’s brainchild, HFI Rey says is “a reflection of what our employees believe should happen. I mean we didn’t just dream this up. Most of what the HFI is are their ideas, which we have provided to the President for his endorsement. This is what they are telling us we need to do.”
Of those 45,000 employees between the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service whose input he values, Rey said, “my sense is that most of our career employees are committed to being loyal civil servants who take direction regardless of who is in the administration. What they hope for in return is a measure of respect for their expertise and commitment to public service.”
Last Book Read: “Faith of Our Fathers,” by U.S. Senator John McCain
Hobbies: Wine collecting
Favorite Drink: 1961 Chateau Latour
Last Movie Seen: “Chicago”
Proudest Moment on the Job: “I am honored every day that I have the opportunity to do this job.”
Priorities in the Months Ahead: “To extinguish the fire most directly affecting me and that is the one under my backside lit by the President to get HFI adopted.”
--Patricia Klintberg