Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman yesterday appointed US Forest Service Associate Chief Dave Unger to head the agency until a permanent successor is found to replace retired chief Jack Ward Thomas, whose last day on the job was yesterday. Thomas in 10/96 announced that he was stepping down after a three-year stint as chief of the USFS.
Glickman said he hopes to pick a permanent successor by the end of the month (Scott Sonner, AP/mult., 12/3). The Portland OREGONIAN on 12/1 reported that Bureau of Land Management Acting Director Michael Dombeck is the top candidate to replace Thomas. Dombeck has been at the BLM since 1989, when he left the USFS. He has been acting director of the BLM since 2/94 (AP/SEATTLE DAILY JOURNAL OF COMMERCE, 12/3).
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