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Page 12 - Idyllwild Town Crier, January 12, 2006
Zimmerman: private man leaves a public legacy
By J.P. Crumrine
Assistant Editor
Editor’s note: This is the final
in a two-part series.
What are the differences
among the SBNF
ranger districts How did
that affect your management
The Front Country Ranger
District stretches from San Bernardino
to Rancho Cucamonga.
It moves into the mountains
from these urban areas; therefore,
the urban interface is a major
distinction creating unique
confrontations, according to
Zimmerman.
“In the Front Country, …
there are a lot of issues of
climbing over the fence from
private land into the forest,”
he said. At night, they incur a
considerable amount of “disrespectful”
behavior. This conflict
or interaction is not typical in
the other districts.
“The Mountain Top surrounds
a lot of small communities,
such as Crestline, Arrowhead
and Big Bear,” he noted.
“Whatever comes down our pipe
has a bearing on them.
“The San Jacinto [Ranger
District] is a little bit of everything,”
said Zimmerman. “There
is an urban interface with Hemet
and San Jacinto. A high country
from Idyllwild to Pinyon.
It’s more like a ranger district
in the Sierras or Oregon and
Gene Zimmerman
Washington. The Forest Service
is intertwined with community
and engaged in core activities.
Look at the Big Bear issues [for
similarity].”
How did your management
style involve the
public
“We held a lot of public
meetings. I encouraged district
rangers to connect with locals.
They are primary contacts [for
local people], not the supervisor’s
office.” he said. “I had them
find ways to engage. Like Laurie
Rosenthal [San Jacinto District
Ranger] did in the forest plan
process. Each ranger has their
own strengths; Laurie is very
dedicated to the community.
Through the people selected, I
was engaging the public because
I couldn’t spread myself so thin
because I don’t have the issue
knowledge.”
Zimmerman’s dependency on
his field staff was reciprocated.
His management style attracted
managers who acknowledged
the public’s role in the decision
process.
“The reason I was even interested
in applying for the district
ranger position I now occupy
was because of Gene’s high value
on partnerships and community
collaboration,” wrote Rosenthal.
“He was acting on this value long
before it became a ‘norm’ in the
Forest Service.
“Some even considered him
a maverick, yet today the San
Bernardino National Forest is
often looked to as a role model
in this area. For example, the
San Bernardino National Forest
Association is considered one of
the premiere nonprofits in the
entire nation, and will be one
of Gene’s many legacies. Gene
made a difference not only locally,
but nationally.”
The users of the forest
facilities are often not the
same people who reside
within the forest boundaries,
how did you balance
the different needs
“We wrestled with that in
Southern California. On the
Angeles and Cleveland [national
forests] especially, there’s a large
number of Hispanics who use
the lower country,” he began.
“How do we engage these folks
How do we find their needs
“We struggle all time,” he
continued. “We hear from people
in Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead
and Idyllwild: ‘Give us preference’.
But we have to keep our
eyes on the long run.”
The Forest Plan, the response
to the October Fire
siege, fuels management …
what else was accomplished
under your reign
Zimmerman replied without
hesitation. The two major actions
he will remember are engaging
the public in the recently
approved land management
plans and the establishment
of the Riverside and San Bernardino
mountain area safety
taskforces (MAST).
“The partnership programs
with volunteers and nonprofits
are big in my mind,” he stated.
“If not for those steps, it would
have denied people involvement.
“I remember calling the first
meeting of MAST. Mary Moreland
[of the Riverside County
Office of Emergency Services]
answered and we presented the
idea to do something,” he said.
“We just built one plan for multiple
jurisdictions [and agencies]
according to their capabilities.
“You didn’t need [to use it] in
Riverside, but it was very beneficial
on the San Bernardino side
when the urban [October 2003]
fires occurred. The outcome was
very successful,” he added.
Residents and local forestry
officials were aware of Zimmerman’s
reaction and leadership
during the bark beetle crisis,
drought and threat of catastrophic
fires.
“We really appreciated his
leadership and his fostering
teamwork and cooperativeness
in mitigating the tree mortality
emergency,” said Kevin Turner,
pre-fire management chief, California
Department of Forestry
and Fire Protection.
“Gene Zimmerman exemplifies
someone who really cares
about the protection and health
of the forest and the people
who live, work and recreate in
the forest,” Moreland said in a
recent e-mail. “He was instrumental
in getting the MAST
organization(s) going (both in
Riverside and San Bernardino
County) and made sure all
applicable entities at all levels
of government and the private
sector were included in that
process.
“He was also instrumental in
organizing the ‘Mountain Summit:
Creating a Positive Future
for our Forests and Communities’
in 2003,” she added. “[This]
brought together government,
scientists, environmentalists,
economists, public safety officials,
utility companies and
the general public to ‘discover,
dream, and design the destiny’
of our forest lands.”
What would you do
differently
“There’s a lot I’d do differently,”
he quickly said. “I’m
rough on edges and say things
I regret later. I make decisions
intuitively and should listen [to
others] more.”
How has the Forest
Service changed during
your career What
troubles you about the
direction of the FS
“In the Forest Service, I used
to go to work in the field and
travel from the ranger district
office over two hours on my
own time,” he began. “I worked
eight hours and at sundown, I’d
drive two hours back. I thought
the Forest Service went down
the tubes when they decided we
could drive on government time.
But it’s more humane for our
employees,” Zimmerman said.
“We’re more sophisticated.
“I did a lot without analysis.
I never analyzed the action or
its effects if it led to better land
management,” he said. “I used to
get an idea and did it. If something
needed burning, we did it.
But complications changed life.
“I have no issue with the
direction of the Forest Service,”
he concluded. “I’m as proud
today as the first day I put the
uniform on. It’s been good.”
What would the Forest
Service be if you were
director
“If I were the chief, it would
not be as good as it is,” he
confessed. “I’m not as good in
thought as the top leadership.
I’ve worked with various chiefs
early in their Forest Service
careers. I’m amazed by their
capability then and as chief. They
do and say the right thing at the
right time.”
What are your plans
“I’m in Home Depot now
and preparing to start a lot of
deferred maintenance on our
house and cabin,” Zimmerman
said. “I love blue-collar work.
I have an old car to restore
and there’s travel to Patagonia
for trail maintenance and an
Alaskan fishing trip.”
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