FOREST PLAN REVISION
Thank you for visiting the Coronado National Forest's Plan Revision website.
The current Coronado National Forest Plan was implemented in 1986. In the years since then, many social and resource conditions changed, scientific information improved, and land management policies evolved. Though the plan was amended many times, some changes could not be addressed quickly or effectively.
The 1986 Plan will be revised in a way that encourages increased public participation.
What Does Plan Revision Mean?
The current Coronado Plan still provides a solid foundation for forest management. So, instead of starting over from scratch, planners will identify and retain parts of the existing plan that continue to work. New scientific information will be incorporated. Existing policy that isn't working will be eliminated.
The planning process is lengthy and rigorous, so we expect the initial plan revision to take at least two years.
Public Participation Welcome!
Public participation helps promote better decisions and greater understanding of those decisions. We are currently formulating ways to work actively with the public during the revision process. Please let us know your ideas about how you would like to interact with our planning team, both now and over the course of the process.
Background
The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976 required every national forest to develop a plan.
These plans provide broad direction for managing national forests for the American people.
The plans are programmatic in nature, meaning they cover a large geographic area and the direction is broad in scope.
The plan must be consistent with environmental laws and regulations such as the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act. More>>
Timeline
Follow the revision process from start to finish with our timeline of events.
More>>
Revision Team Organization
A "Core Team" will be dedicated to the plan revision process; however, a constellation of other teams comprised of specialists and managers will provide professional analysis and oversight. More>>
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Public Participation/Contact Us
Learn how to get involved in Forest Plan Revision. Your participation is crucial.
Please contact us. More>>
Newsletter
The Forest Plan Revision Newsletter will keep you current with the latest information.
Documents
Read the latest released documents, or peruse our archive of essential references. The Public Meeting Handouts is the latest document posted (November 20, 2008). More>>
Maps
View interactive maps. Data layer downloads are available for those who would like to produce their own maps or conduct their own GIS analysis. More>>
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PLANNING RULE STATUS
2008 NFMA Planning Rule, April 21, 2008
The final 2008 Planning Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2008.
There will be no additional comment period on either the FEIS or the new planning rule.
Now that the 2008 Rule is in place, the Forest Service has the ability to proceed with revising forest plans.
In coming months, the National Forests in Arizona and the Cibola National Grasslands will be developing an updated schedule and timeline of their revision process.
At this time, we have not determined when revision of forest plans for National Forests in New Mexico will begin.
The Arizona Forests and the Cibola National Grasslands will continue their commitment to working with the public in an open and transparent manner. Future opportunities for public collaboration and involvement will be identified as local revision efforts resume.
The Southwestern Region implemented an interim strategy to continue with the revision process and minimize loss of momentum during the period while the 2005 Rule was enjoined. Southwestern Region Revision efforts proceeded in a “rule neutral” fashion under the guidance of the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976.
At the time of the 2005 Rule enjoinment all seven revision efforts were in early stages of the process, and had not yet begun formal revision. Formal revision begins with a formal notice of initiation.
A planning rule establishes a process by which social, economic values and environmental protections are recognized and documented. A planning rule directs what information is included in a forest plan and how the plan is prepared.
2008 Planning Rule FAQ |
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