Resuming Plan Revision Projects
By Robert J. Leaverton
The U.S. Forest Service recently announced its new 2008 Planning
Rule that allows us to resume our land management plan revision
projects for the Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (Grasslands
Plan) and for the Pike and San Isabel National Forests (Forests
Plan). We expect to smoothly transition our current Grasslands and
Forests planning processes, which began in 2005, to conform to the
2008 Planning Rule. Forest and grassland plans lay out a strategic
framework for the management of National Forest System lands for
the next 10-15 years.
The Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands and the Pike and San
Isabel National Forests on-going planning processes rely heavily
on open collaboration with public, partners and stakeholders. We
truly appreciate the high level of participation in our earlier
collaborative workshops. As we transition to conform to the 2008
Planning rule, we look forward to finalizing our Grasslands Plan
and resuming our Forests Plan collaboration workshops this fall.
You can find materials associated with both plans, including the
previously-released versions of the Grasslands Plan, assessments,
reports, maps, responses to public comments, and meeting schedules
on our Website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/psicc/projects/forest_revision/index.shtml.
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Robert (Bob) J. Leaverton is the forest supervisor for the Pike
and San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National
Grasslands. Leaverton came to the PSICC in 2002 and has held various
management and natural resource staff positions in his 33 years
of service.
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