Marlene was a great friend over the past 15 years. She spoke on several occasions about her despair and frustration related to the systematic steps being taken by her supervisor with the BLM that would ultimately lead to her termination. Her attempts to appeal these actions were unsuccessful, leaving her with very little recourse and no support. I would like to see an investigation into this tragedy; this person was destroyed for doing her job but failing to walk the "party line."

I don't think that I ever claimed Marlene was an easy person; she had high standards and could on occasion, though not always, be uncomprising. Having spoken to many at the BLM who knew Marlene, I heard the good (of which there was much) and the bad (of which there was some). It is not my intention to paint her as a saint. Let me say that I do not believe she was "mentally ill" (as some critics claimed). Taking medication for anxiety caused by a situation is not "mental illness." Her autopsy showed no excessive amounts of drugs, and indeed only 2. One was for anxiety; one for sleep. Both were at or slightly below therapeutic doses. The email note that Marlene sent to BLM was, I was told, clear enough to indicate she intended to commit suicide. She mentioned she wanted to be an organ donor. (Had Ron called 911 or someone at Carrizo--there is a fire station 10 minutes away) Marlene's organs might have been saved at the very least, even if her life could not have been. But if she had not yet pulled the trigger, a call might have interrupted the attempt.

The point is, every effort should have been made to act in as timely a fashion as possible. Let's say Ron had called 911 and it was all for nothing. So what? One person did try to call Marlene, who did not answer. This person obviously understood the need to act quickly. She also immediately showed the email to Marlene's supervisors. Why didn't Marlene's supervisor see the need to act with all deliberate speed? According to the sheriff, the men on the road sent to see if she was OK did call the BLM dispatch for emergency help at some point into their trip and before they arrived, so they knew something of the gravity of the situation. Ron Huntsinger is paid over $100,000 tax payer dollars each year to make good decisions. His failure to call 911 seems an especially negligent action.

The decision to take her life was Marlene's. There is no question. But she made that decision because she was "cornered." She received memoranda from her supervisor on April 25 threatening more disciplinary action. Since he had carried out one threat, it was rational to assume he would carry out the others. She loved the Carrizo, and she loved working for BLM. She wrote in her appeal of her first suspension, the only black mark on her record ever, that "this is the best job I have ever had." In numerous emails she praised her co-workers on the Carrizo. Perhaps they were not privy to these, but I have seen them, and one biologist is described as "brilliant," and all are praised for their hard work.

The person (other BLM worker) who attempted suicide, who told me the story herself, told me she would not characterize Marlene's treatment of her as abusive (I asked her directly) but the perfectionism caused her enormous stress. I can't evaluate this person's case, as we had only a 2 hour discussion almost immediately after Marlene died, but I also think this case is more complex than (those critical of Marlene) acknowledge.

I knew Marlene a long time, since I was 13. And I never thought of her as a person in danger of suicide, though in Feb. 2005 I was worried enough to ask her if she was suicidal. She said no. Marlene was a very honest person. It was a quality that could rub people the wrong way. She said exactly what she thought. So I believed her when I asked her if she'd call me if she ever felt suicidal. In order to kill herself, Marlene had certainly come to a terrible place in her life emotionally, and she did not reach out for help. I believe her last minute email to BLM was to get her organs preserved. (They were not, though she was still breathing when the asst. supervisor and law enforcement officer arrived. It was about an hour too late.)

Never have I claimed that anyone other than Ron Huntsinger acted inappropriately regarding Marlene. He is the field office supervisor, and his management decisions, from the denial of use-it-or-lose-it leave to Marlene, to his decision to issue a suspension for a first offense instead of a letter of reprimand, to his failure to enter into mediation in a situation that was clearly having a negative impact on his relationship with an employee, to his suspension of her and his threatened disciplinary actions, to his failure to call 911, should be investigated by an impartial party. (Marlene was receiving excellent performance assessments, which I now possess, at the same time she was being disciplined, and denied leave that is given freely to everyone else.)

And if my assessment of Marlene's character is incorrect (hypothetically), it still doesn't matter. Her treatment by Ron is the issue. If a pattern of abusive treatment in any way contributed to her decision to kill herself, he should be fired. If Marlene's behavior was inappropriate towards others, that is a separate and distinct issue. Each is accountable for his or her behavior. But Marlene is the one who is dead.

I hope the BLM will choose to consult TNC and California Fish and Game, the partners on the Carrizo Plain National Monument, in the next selection of a permanent monument manager.

Cooperative action on the Carrizo is necessary.