The Washington Times reports that the Forest Service spent at least $500,000 on a motivational conference to help its employees explore "alternative realities." The conference, held in Sacramento, California, was designed to help workers in the Pacific Southwest Region "proactively use and create change" by using such concepts as "Everyone's truth is truth" and "Alternative realities are OK," according to literature sent to employees. Decisions should be made "as if the future were now, in effect, blurring the line between 'here' and 'there.' " About 770 of the region's 4,500 Forest Service employees attended the conference.

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