Board of Contract Appeals

                 General Services Administration

                      Washington, D.C. 20405







                                                 



                          March 21, 2005

                                                 





                         GSBCA 16455-RELO





              In the Matter of JAMES N. HERRING, JR.





     James N. Herring, Jr., Big Bend National Park, TX, Claimant.



     C. Bruce Sheaffer, Comptroller, National Park Service, Washington, DC, appearing

for Department of the Interior.



DANIELS, Board Judge (Chairman).



     In May and June 2003, James N. Herring, Jr., and his family moved from Denali

National Park, Alaska, to Big Bend National Park, Texas.  The move was directed by the

National Park Service, which had appointed Mr. Herring Chief Ranger at Big Bend National

Park.



     Later in 2003, Mr. Herring submitted vouchers to the Park Service for travel and

transportation expenses and other allowances to which he believed himself entitled as a

transferee.  The Park Service paid a portion of each of the amounts claimed.



     In January 2004, Mr. Herring submitted a third voucher, showing the amounts he

believed were still due him, after considering the Park Service's analysis of the previous

vouchers.  The Park Service refused to review this third voucher.



     Mr. Herring then exercised his right to submit his claim to the General Services Board

of Contract Appeals for settlement.  He continued to assert that the amounts shown on the

third voucher were due him.



     After protracted proceedings, the Park Service analyzed the claim and agreed to pay

virtually all of the amount sought.  Mr. Herring responded that after reviewing the agency's

response, he is "willing to accept their determination as 'close enough' despite one glaring

error."



     Mr. Herring's response means that no issue remains for the Board to settle.  We

consequently dismiss the case.



     Mr. Herring continues to assert that the Park Service's Accounting Operations Center

behaved in an "unprofessional, disrespectful, and at times rude" way in its dealings with him

in this matter.  He also asks that the Center apologize to him and his family "for the

disrespectful treatment and petty, accusatory posture which they have adopted since day one." 

These requests are properly directed to management of the Park Service and the Department

of the Interior, rather than the Board.  Our authority in cases brought by federal civilian

employees for relocation expenses incident to transfers of official duty station is to settle

monetary claims.  We may not conduct management reviews or order agency officials to take

actions which do not involve the disbursement of money.  Victor G. Herington, GSBCA

15914-RELO, 03-1 BCA   32,187; see also Eric B. Fort, GSBCA 16302-TRAV, 04-1 BCA 

 32,541 (2003).











                                   _________________________ 

                                   STEPHEN M. DANIELS

                                   Board Judge