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W.J. McCabe Chapter Izaak Walton League of America

By SCOTT SONNER Associated Press Writer

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- The sudden resignation of a Forest Service supervisor charged with care of Nevada's national forests was met with empathy and concern by her boss.

``The Forest Service is in the middle of controversy about natural resource issues everywhere in the country, but the acrimony and attitude toward the agency, its employees and other federal employees in Nevada are extremely troubling to me,'' said Jack Blackwell, who serves as regional forester in charge of its Intermountain region.

Citing anti-government sentiment fueled by a battle over protection of the threatened bull trout and mining and livestock issues, Gloria Flora announced Monday that she plans to quit soon after Jan. 1.

``Fed-bashing is a sport here and I refuse to sit by quietly and let it happen as many others are doing,'' Flora, supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, said in a statement. ``I hope that my departure will call attention to this situation.''

Blackwell said he regretted Flora's resignation, but, ``I understand her reasons and respect her decision.''

Flora, who said she will consider reassignment to another Forest Service post, became supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe -- the largest national forest in the Lower 48 states -- in July 1998. Most recently, she has angered some county, state and federal officials involved in a dispute over threatened bull trout in Elko County, where officials want to rebuild a remote road inside the national forest.

``We have accomplished some outstanding natural resource work, however, the atmosphere of hostility and distrust toward federal employees is unacceptable,'' Flora said.

Forest Service scientists say reconstruction of the road, which was wiped out in a flood in 1995, could push the last surviving bull trout in Nevada into extinction.

A citizen work crew led by state Assemblyman John Carpenter backed down from plans to defy the Forest Service and rebuild the road after politicians worried about violence and a federal judge issued a restraining order against them.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., who has been trying to broker a settlement on the issue, called Flora a ``dedicated public servant'' and said her resignation is ``unfortunate.'' Not everyone was saddened by her resignation.

``Fed-bashing isn't a sport here,'' said Kristin McQueary, deputy district attorney for Elko County. ``The people are absolutely frustrated by the way the federal government has refused to take the time to listen to them.''

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