Rolla Job Losses Taken Up by Regional Association

Board members of the Missouri’s Fort Leonard Wood Region Regional Commerce and Growth Association, among their other work, took time to encourage members to support Representative Joanne Emerson’s petition on the matter. The local paper reports that Emerson hopes to take 10,000 signatures to the White House Christmas Party.

Other news on the Rolla situation: “Mark Newell, public affairs manager for the USGS, said an internal review of the process by which the decision was reached to close the Rolla office is expected back by Nov. 14, and an inspector general report is underway with no final date yet announced.”

USGS Leadership Compared to FEMA Leadership

A letter to the editor of the Rolla Daily News from a USGS employee thanks the paper for its efforts in unraveling the recent decision to locate the NGTOC in Denver. It goes on to compare USGS leadership to FEMA’s.

“In all this mess there is a parallel to the FEMA story. There are people occupying very high levels in USGS, with control of significant amounts of the budget, that have absolutely no understanding of the geospatial data and mapping capabilities and history of USGS. Nor have they taken the time to learn. They have refused to visit the centers, and have been too busy when we try to get on their calendars to provide briefings. They have set aside very knowledgeable and dedicated staff members, and put their buddies into positions of power. They have chosen to throw out the people, ignore the rich history of USGS mapping, and give money to their “partners (wink).” (The specific people and their roles in this will be uncovered during the investigation, but it is a strange mix of incompetence and hidden agendas.) Unfortunately, in FEMA it took a terrible natural disaster to boot out the leader, but I suspect that inside FEMA the dedicated workers knew that unqualified leadership would be devastating to the mission — which in their case, sadly cost lives.”

This is not the first time I’ve heard these allegations. That does not make them true. It does mean there’s much to be investigated.

USGS Postones Rolla Shutdown

[10/26] Update: More insider news from the Rolla Daily Times includes what went on in Denver when Karen Sideralis and Gale Norton prepared to meet with Rolla officials regarding the decision. According to a letter from a Denver employee, the staff was asked to document partners associated with the Denver office. That didn’t bother the writer. Instead he asks, rightly, I believe: “‘Shouldn’t Ms. Siderelis and her staff have all this information already?’ Supposedly, she should have had this at her disposal when she made her decision.” This whole situation is looking bad for Interior and USGS.

[10/25] Update: The article from FCW notes that the new Denver “union” is pushing for splitting resonsibilities between Denver and Rolla. Union leader Sandra Hoyle, a USGS cartographic technician, also suggests that Karen Siderelis selected Denver since it’d be easier for private business to “win” the work. In Rolla, it’d have been harder.

While the memo from USGS Director Patrick Leahy announcing this “hold” is widely quoted it is not available on the Web.  It was send as an e-mail to USGS employees and was apparently also shared outside USGS. USGS decided not to put out a press release. I requested it from USGS and reprint it below.

MEMORANDUM

October 21, 2005

To:          All National Geospatial Technical Operations Center Employees

From:          P. Patrick Leahy (signed Pat Leahy)
          Acting Director

Subject:      The National Geospatial Technical Operations Center

Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Mark Limbaugh has requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put a hold on the implementation to locate the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center (NGTOC) at the Denver Federal Center in Lakewood, Colorado.  Assistant Secretary Limbaugh directed a review of the decision process in light of questions raised about that process.  Therefore, I am directing that no further actions be taken to implement the location decision and the A-76 competitive sourcing study pending the outcome of this review. 

All of us at USGS remain committed to developing the most efficient, effective workforce and organizational structure to fulfill our mission.

I thank you for your patience while this issue is reviewed.

[10/21] Via the Associated Press: “The U.S. Interior Department said today it is postponing plans to move its federal mapping agency office out of Rolla, pending a review of the decision.” Missouri Congresspeople have been all over this since the decision was made locate the NGTOC in Denver. Clearly, Interior is listening.

Even as this annoucement was made, local Rollans were asked to sign a petition to reverse the Devner decision by the publisher of the Rolla Daily News.

Latest on USGS Rolla Decision

The Rolla Daily News continues its coverage of the USGS choice of Denver for the NGTOC.
First up, results of a poll.

“The tabulation of our latest Pulse Poll question shows that 44.6 percent believe the decision to close the U.S.G.S. mapping center in Rolla “is shameful” because evidence shows that Rolla is where a proposed consolidation should occur.”

Second, coverage of a meeting between state officials and USGS workers. USGS staffers expressed their concern to Gov. Matt Blunt and State Treasurer Sarah Steelman. Representatives from U.S. Sen. Jim Talent’s and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson’s offices were also on hand. The article reports that “Federal officials .. requested a meeting with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton in an ongoing attempt to reverse the decision to close the Rolla mapping center.”

Finally, the paper shares a letter from a USGS staffer in Denver regarding the situation.

USGS to Contract Out Topo Maps

Yes, that’s what new USGS Director Patrick Leahy said to the ACSM, according to its latest Government Update (via GeoCarta ). Leahy noted that the failures in Katrina were failures of science and went on to note the increased demand for new maps by other flood prone areas. The article concludes: “To respond top the increased need for topographic maps, the USGS will start contracting with state and local governments, as well as the private sector for the development of the new maps.”

Maybe the rumors I heard about the government wanting to shut down USGS entirely is possible?