Forest Service Releases Final Planning Rule
On Dec. 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service released its final rule that provides the framework for individual forest management plans governing the 155 national forests and 20 grasslands. For the first time, an Environmental Management System will be used during the planning process to improve performance and accountability, U.S. Forest Service leaders said.
“The new rule will improve the way we work with the public by making forest planning more open, understandable and timely,” said Forest Service Assoc. Chief Sally Collins. “It will enable Forest Service experts to respond more rapidly to changing conditions, such as wildfires, and emerging threats, such as invasive species.”
The agency will adopt an environmental management system for each forest and grassland, a tool used widely by the public and private sectors both nationally and internationally that includes internationally accepted standards. A key feature of the system is the requirement for independent audits of the Forest Service's work. This new review and oversight of agency performance will help the Forest Service more fully account for its management of more than 192 million acres of public land, according to the agency.
“This rule applies the most current thinking in natural-resources management,” said Collins. “It takes a 21st-century approach to delivering the full range of values that Americans want for their quality of life: clean air and water, habitat for wildlife, and sustainable uses that will be available for future generations to enjoy.”
The final rule moves many detailed procedural requirements to the Forest Service's directive system, which is the agency's internal how-to manual. For example, broad species protection goals remain in the new rule, but the analytical procedures on how to achieve those goals will be spelled out in the directive system.
The Forest Service said the new rule “neither promotes nor discourages any particular forest use, such as recreation, grazing, timber harvest, or mineral development. Decisions regarding such uses will be made on a forest-by-forest basis and will be informed by local conditions, science and public input. Guidelines on activities, such as timber harvesting, will be placed in the directives.”
The National Forest Management Act of 1976 requires the Forest Service to develop, periodically revise and amend all forest and grassland plans. The first generation of forest plans was developed under a regulation adopted in 1982. There are currently 49 revisions under way using the 22-year-old regulation. Forest and grasslands managers may now choose to change to the new rule or wait to use the new rule for their next revision or amendment. An additional 42 are awaiting revision and must use the new rule.
The Forest Service forwarded the new rule and the proposal identifying how plan development, amendment and revision will comply with the National Environmental Policy Act to the Dec. 22 Federal Register Both documents are available at www.fs.fed.us/emc/nfma. The public has 60 days to comment on the NEPA proposal. Written comments may be sent to Forest Service Content Analysis Team, P.O. Box 22777, Salt Lake City, Utah 84122. Send comments by e-mail to planningce@fs.fed.us or by fax to 801-517-1015.
