California land group may be involved in investigation

Scott Sonner

Saturday, Aug. 1, 1998 | 3:38 a.m.

RENO, Nev. - The head of a San Francisco-based land conservancy said Saturday she was questioned by investigators and could be one of those under scrutiny in a probe of gifts to a Forest Service official who oversaw land exchanges in Nevada.

Harriet Burgess, president of the American Land Conservancy, said the investigation appears to focus on her relationship with Jim Nelson, former supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

The U.S. Agriculture Department's Office of Inspector General says in a draft report that a Forest Service official allegedly accepted free travel and other gifts from private interests that pushed through millions of dollars of public land swaps in Nevada.

The gifts ranged from free air travel and a fishing trip to Canada, to a sailing trip on San Francisco Bay and a free Christmas vacation at a ritzy resort. Excerpts of the audit obtained by AP do not estimate the value of the gifts.

Nelson did not return repeated telephone calls to his home seeking comment on the audit. He retired in February, 16 years after he was named forest supervisor.

The Las Vegas Sun reported that Nelson signed a sworn statement saying he accepted gifts and entertainment from negotiators involved in land exchanges worth $45 million.

Burgess, whose non-profit group purchases land primarily to protect wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities, said agents for the USDA's inspector general questioned her in San Francisco last year about gifts she gave to Nelson.

"It was a year or so ago. This has been going on for a long time," she told The Associated Press.

She told AP she had no further comment and that the conservancy would prepare a written response on Monday.

Burgess told the Reno Gazette-Journal that Nelson and his wife, Ann, stayed at her Oakland, Calif., home one night last summer, had a home-cooked meal and went sailing on a boat that Burgess and her husband own with three other families.

At the time, "it seemed like a nice thing to do," Burgess told the Gazette-Journal.

"It was long after these exchanges had closed. It was 18 months after he was no longer responsible for any land transactions on the forest," she said.

"I've entertained Forest Service personnel before. I didn't expect anything in return."

She also gave the recently married Nelsons a French cooking knife as a wedding gift.

Forest Service spokesman Chris Wood said he could not identify the official targeted in the audit or comment on whether that official still remained on the job.

"To the extent the OIG report identifies that mistakes were made, people will be held accountable and we will take immediate corrective action to fix the problems identified by OIG," Wood said.

Acting on a tip from a whistleblower hotline, the inspectors uncovered "a serious breakdown of controls" in the overall exchange program intended to benefit both private land owners and public interests through the trading of like-valued lands.

Excerpts of the draft audit obtained by AP cite a wide range of improper dealings involving at least $27.9 million and 7,000 acres of land swaps at the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada.

"The Forest Service bargaining team allowed the private parties to control the bargaining process," the draft audit said.