In its eagerness to meet a 43 percent female hiring goal, the Forest Service released a announcement for firefighting positions that stated, "Only Unqualified Applicants May Apply." A second announcement specified, "Only applicants who do not meet [job requirement] standards will be considered." The Washington Times noted, "An internal Forest Service document indicates that, in some cases, critical firefighting positions were left vacant or filled with unqualified temporary workers because no women applied for the posts."

†