Saturday, September 1, 2007

Revolving door: Forest Service official bails for industry group

Time was when news like this would have stoked some outrage. Now, not so much -- unfortunately.

From Climate Ark, via AP: The Bush administration's top lawyer for the U.S. Forest Service is leaving to take a job with the nation's leading timber industry lobbying group. Jan W. Poling, associate general counsel for natural resources at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be the new general counsel for the American Forest and Paper Association, the organization said Friday.

She is the second member of the administration to go to the industry group this year. In February, Dave Tenny, deputy undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment, became vice president of forestry and wood products, a title formerly held by Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey with the group.

"Jan's experience managing complex legal issues will add great value to AF&PA and its public policy mission," the company's president, Donna Harman, said in a statement. Previously, Poling served as an Alabama assistant attorney general, as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Interior solicitor's office, and in the department's congressional and legislative affairs office.

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