Forest Service moves hundreds of human resources jobs to New Mexico

The Forest Service opened a central human capital management office in Albuquerque, N.M., Wednesday, marking the latest step in its business consolidation.

Agency officials said by next September, they will more than triple the number of human resources employees in Albuquerque, from 109 to 360. About 100 of those jobs will be available in the "near future," officials said. The human resources center will go from serving 4,530 workers in the Forest Service to serving about 39,000 -- the bulk of all agency employees.

As a result, many human resources employees scattered around the country will either lose their jobs or transfer to Albuquerque. About a quarter of the jobs added to the state by the new center will be filled by New Mexico residents and the rest will be filled by Forest Service transfers, said Hank Kashdan, Forest Service deputy chief for business operations. Not all of the positions held now will be refilled because of what the agency calls redundancy.

The consolidation is calculated to save $22 million a year, according to Forest Service budget documents. When combined with other streamlining efforts, including in information technology and financial management, savings are expected to reach $241 million over five years.

Agriculture Department Secretary Mike Johanns said the "change enables the Forest Service to redirect crucial funds from administrative functions back to mission-critical programs."

The Forest Service opened the Albuquerque center in February 2005 for budget and finance operations.

Agency officials called the centralized office "the most significant change to [the Forest Service's] business practices since its founding in 1905." To commemorate the addition of the human resources functions, Johanns toured the three-story Albuquerque facility with Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M, and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M, on Wednesday.

Domenici, Wilson and Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., said they lobbied USDA to bring the new center to their state. Domenici called it "an important milestone for Albuquerque's economy," which he said depends on a mix of private sector, high-tech and government jobs.

"I know that the people of New Mexico are welcoming these workers with open arms, just as my family was welcomed here 100 years ago this year," Domenici said.

Kashdan, the deputy chief, said the agency picked New Mexico based on diversity, proximity to other Forest Service facilities and other factors -- not because of any congressional lobbying.

Bill Dougan, Forest Service council president for the National Federation of Federal Employees, said he is worried that the move will make human resources employees less accessible and useful.

"It's a good thing to be able to walk down the hall and touch your personnelist when you're dealing with an issue," management's Kashdan said. "It's also a bad thing that we had personnelists in 120 different locations that interpret rules differently [and] respond to the needs of personnel actions differently. We have widespread agency inefficiencies."

Dougan also said placing labor relations officials so far from the local unions could strain relationships -- but he has not judged the change yet.

"I think to be fair we have to give these centralized organizations a certain amount of time to get up and running and smooth out the bumps," Dougan said.

The agency said it will post openings at the Albuquerque center on USAJOBS.gov, the centralized Web site run by the Office of Personnel Management.