West Virginia forester jobs could become political under Agriculture, Senate Democrats say
A proposal to put state foresters under the West Virginia Department of Agriculture could politicize their jobs, Democrats in the state Senate said Wednesday.
State foresters, who now work under the state Commerce Department, have civil service job protections. The foresters would become “will and pleasure” employees with fewer protections against being fired if the Division of Forestry moves to the agriculture department.
“Their fears with this is, putting it under agriculture, it could become political,” said state Sen. Richard Ojeda, D-Logan.
On Wednesday, the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee put off a vote on legislation (SB 183) to transfer the forest office. Senate lawyers are revising the bill.
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