215.8—Appeal Deciding Officer.
(a) Appropriate Appeal Deciding Officer.
Appeals must be filed with the Appeal Deciding Officer as follows:
| If the responsible official who made the decision is: | Then the Appeal Deciding Officer is: |
|---|---|
| Chief | Secretary of Agriculture. |
| Regional Forester or Station Director | Chief of the Forest Service. |
| Forest Supervisor | Regional Forester. |
| District Ranger | Forest Supervisor. |
(b) Authority.
The Appeal Deciding Officer makes all procedural determinations. Such determinations are not subject to further administrative review.
(1) Consolidation of appeal decisions.
In cases involving more than one appeal of a decision, the Appeal Deciding Officer may consolidate appeals and may issue one or more appeal decisions.
(2) Appeals with multiple names (organization(s) or individuals).
(i)
When an appeal lists multiple names, the Appeal Deciding Officer shall identify all qualified appellants ( § 215.13 ).
(ii)
The Appeal Deciding Officer may appoint the first name listed as the lead appellant ( § 215.2) to act on behalf of all parties to that appeal when the appeal does not specify a lead appellant ( § 215.14(b)(3) ).
(3) Appeal disposition.
(i)
The Appeal Deciding Officer shall render the final disposition on an appeal and notify the appellant(s) in writing concerning the disposition of the appeal ( § 215.15(e)(2) ).
(ii)
The Appeal Deciding Officer may issue an appeal decision different from the Appeal Reviewing Officer's recommendation.