Chapter 30 DELEGATION of AUTHORITY and RESPONSIBILITY

fsM 1200 – ORGANIZATION

chapteR 30 – DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY

Supplement No.: R6/Gifford Pinchot-1200-96-1

Effective Date: March 15, 1996

Duration: Effective until superseded or removed

Posting Instructions: Supplements are numbered consecutively by Title and calendar year. Post by document name. Remove entire document and replace with this supplement. Retain this transmittal as the first page of this document.

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1231.3 - Acting Authority. The Forest Supervisor and Deputy Forest Supervisor are frequently not available for varying periods of time. Staff Officers shall be assigned as Acting Forest Supervisor for one week periods on a rotational basis. On those days the Forest Supervisor and Deputy Forest Supervisor are not available, the Acting shall assume all approvals and signing authority of the Forest Supervisor, subject to the limitations stated in FSM 1236. The Acting shall take calls, meet with visitors, speak for the Forest Supervisor, make decisions and generally take prompt action, as required.

If the designated Acting Forest Supervisor is to be away from the office, they shall arrange for one of the other Staff Officers to serve as an alternate.

Each Staff Officer and Subunit Manager shall designate in writing, with a copy to the Supervisor's Office, an Acting to serve as a Staff Officer or Subunit Manager in their absence.

An acting, in either of the above situations, is expected to assume all of the responsibility delegated to the person for whom they are acting, subject to limitations in FSM 1236.

1236.43 - National Forest Signing Authorities. The Forest Supervisor or Deputy shall personally approve and sign the following:

1. Correspondence and documents involving major items, issues, or subject matter (including policy and non-routine or controversial items).

1. Interim Directives to Forest Service Manuals or Handbooks.

1. Environmental Assessments.

1. Correspondence to employees of a personal nature.

1. Congressional and appeals correspondence.

1. Official correspondence establishing or changing targets, fund allocation, or other accountability related topics.

1. Closure orders.

1. Letters with "Reply Due."

Correspondence designated for Forest Supervisor/Deputy signature shall be routed through the appropriate Staff Officer or their acting, who shall initial prior to routing to the Forest Supervisor/Deputy for signature.

The Acting Forest Supervisor is authorized to sign "for" the Forest Supervisor, all correspondence which is not designated above for the Forest Supervisor's or Deputy's personal signature. In an extended absence or critical situations, the Acting may sign the above correspondence/document. This authority to sign "for" the Forest Supervisor is not redelegable. In the absence of the Acting Forest Supervisor, correspondence shall be signed by an alternate Staff Officer. It is the Acting's responsibility to make certain these duties are covered.

Each Staff Officer is responsible to identify correspondence/documents which should be held for the personal attention or approval of the Forest Supervisor or Deputy.

Staff Officers shall sign routine, technical, procedural, and instructional correspondence within their area of responsibility over their own title. This authority may be redelegated to their Acting. Acting shall sign this type of correspondence "for" the Staff Officer.

Staff Officers may authorize, in writing, Staff Specialists to sign intra-Forest correspondence of a technical or advisory nature within their area of expertise, over their own title.

Only the Contracting Officer, Acting Contracting Officer, or the COR have authority to sign correspondence to a contractor (or bidder) directly related to a particular contract or bid. Only the Forest Supervisor and Deputy Forest Supervisor may sign letters as the Forest Employment Officer when issuing official reprimands, proposing adverse action, or issuing a decision in adverse action cases within the Forest delegated authority.

It shall be the responsibility of the individual initiating the correspondence to indicate the proper and desired signature and title, as well as the file designation and subject. In the absence of such designation, the correspondence shall be prepared for signature by the Forest Supervisor.