Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Not a whitewash report

Sunday, Feb. 13, 2000 | 9:17 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

The U.S. Forest Service did a thorough investigation of the problems its employees are experiencing in northeastern Nevada. Some members of other federal agencies predicted it would be a whitewash. It wasn't a whitewash and a skilled reader soon could determine that everything is not all sunshine and roses for conservation agency people in and around Elko County. This didn't come as a surprise for Nevadans closely watching the recent activities in that area.

Although they could find "no personal threats, violence or abuse in the past several years" that would justify criminal prosecution, the atmosphere is poisoned. In other parts of Nevada the investigators found "positive working relationships and successful partnerships" existing in many areas in and around the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

There's no doubt that some federal government conservation policies have irritated many Westerners. The foolishness that forced a Nevada congressman to seek legislation for the transfer of an old two-acre cemetery to the local community only added fuel to the fire. Also, there's a reason to believe the road along the Jarbidge river going unrepaired for several years could have been handled better by all concerned, and this includes the state of Nevada. The entire federal policy promoting roadless areas has some people blaming the local workers.

Despite these irritating situations, the following evaluation extracted from the report should embarrass all of us. "In several instances, Forest Service employees either were refused service by employees of local businesses or were subjected to foul language by other business patrons. To their credit, business owners dealt with these situations when they were reported; however, these experiences were very troubling to employees. We heard from two Forest Service spouses who reported being ostracized from community groups and verbally abused and ridiculed in public. One spouse told us that her child's teacher made disparaging comments during class about Forest Service employees. The issue with the teacher was raised to school authorities and is being dealt with. In two instances, church members were said to have left congregations after Forest Service emplo yees joined."

The investigators didn't overlook the role of the press and surprised those who predicted a whitewash. They whacked the editorials of the Elko Daily Free Press, which has continually beaten up on federal agencies and employees. The investigators noted, "Many employees expressed the opinion that the editorial content of the Elko Daily Free Press has devalued the role of the Forest Service in northeast Nevada and affects the working atmosphere." The ownership of the newspaper recently changed hands.

This part of the report reminds us that state conservation agencies have been equally abused in Elko County. One, a 30-year career biologist with the Nevada Division of Wildlife, told me, "We have never been involved in a single incident of impropriety or illegal actions since we moved to Nevada in 1968. Now to be called government thugs and extortionists by the local press and criminals by our local government has been difficult to understand and sometimes ever harder to accept." These words after living, working and raising a family for more than 20 years in Elko.

About five years ago a rigged grand jury targeting state and federal employees was called to investigate a "conspiracy" between them and environmental groups. It was a farce from the beginning and it took a district judge to advise the district attorney not to drag federal employees into the star chamber. The U.S. Attorney for Nevada had drawn a line in the sand. It took the Nevada Supreme Court more than two years to clean up the state employees smeared by that grand jury.

The courageous little weekly newspaper in Wendover on the eastern edge of Elko County, the High Desert Advocate, praised the judge's actions in 1996:

"We also expect some protests over his ruling as we expect our point of view may not be popular with those newest spokesmen for states' rights, etc. ...

"It is OK with them when Uncle Sam extends his largess when it comes to disaster management or special favors like the mining law of 1872, or those low-cost cattle range charges. And, of course, if it wasn't for the National Endowment for the Arts' seed money, Cowboy Poetry might never have gotten off the ground.

"But at the slightest hint the feds might like to know how those dollars are spent or how well the counties live up to their responsibilities in spending those federal dollars, our tough-talking, independent-minded Westerners start their whining. ..."

The recent federal evaluation of the situation in northeastern Nevada has probably brought some smiles and a few quiet chuckles from Elko County residents wondering when somebody in authority would speak up.