Episode 1: Mark Lichtenstein

Life's Ambition

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Mark Lichtenstein discusses his career path from forest management to budgeting in the federal government. He highlights the challenges and rewards of working in budgeting and the importance of continuous learning. Mark also shares his experiences in the private industry and the government, comparing the two sectors. He discusses the impact of political regimes on budgeting and the need for effective leadership skills. Mark emphasizes the importance of representing all constituents and the local impact of government work. The conversation with Mark Lichtenstein, Budget Director of the U.S. Forest Service, covers various topics related to the Forest Service's role in fire management, employment, budgeting, and resource extraction. The chapters explore the impact of the Forest Service on employment, the fixed and variable costs of the agency, the size and scope of the Forest Service, the labor intensity of fire response, the challenges of fire management, the increasing severity of fires, the changing patterns of fire season, the ecological condition of forests, the role of wind in fire spread, the cohesive strategy for fire management, the need for resilient communities and natural systems, the challenge of catching up with treatment needs, the paradox of protecting infrastructure and causing fires, the difficulty of finding safe areas from fire, the impact of climate change on fires, the changing landscape in Canada, the Forest Service's role in mining and transportation, the revenue generation of the Forest Service, the ecosystem services provided by forests, the importance of water resources, and addressing criticism of the Forest Service.