Planning Process
What is a Land Management Plan?
Land Management Plans (also referred to as forest plans) define
how the Forest Service manages the national forests. For the most
part, each national forest and grassland in the United States has
its own Land and Resource Management Plan. The Plans establish the
desired condition for the land and resources and set broad, general
direction for managing national forests.
Land Management Plans identify where and under what conditions
an activity or project can proceed. They are programmatic zoning
documents and, normally, they do not make site-specific decisions
to undertake particular projects.
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Most land management plans for the national forests were approved
in the 1980s, and, by law, national forests revise their plans every
15 years or sooner. The Malheur, Umatilla, Ochoco, and Wallowa-Whitman
Forest Plans were signed in either 1989 or 1990. A few national
forests have already revised their original plans, such as our Idaho
neighbors to the east, the Boise, Payette, and Sawtooth National
Forests. The national schedule for forest plan revisions is updated
periodically and may be found at the following website (see www.fs.fed.us/biology/planning/).
Why Does a Land Management Plan Matter?
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Plans govern the way national forests are managed.
If you are interested in how a particular national forest
is managed day-to-day, then engaging in the process through
which a land management plan is revised is an excellent opportunity
to make a difference. The operations that national forest
managers undertake must be consistent with the plan’s
guidelines, its objectives, and management requirements, as
well as all relevant overarching laws and regulations.
The boundaries of management areas or categories designated
in the Forest Plan and the prescriptions for them, for example,
determine what activities may be allowed there and, in many
cases, how they are to be conducted. Many people care deeply
about how the national forests are managed—ranging from
people who live next to them or regularly visit them, to those
who have intimate knowledge of them, and even to those who
simply dream about visiting them. If you are one of these
people, then you likely care about how management areas are
designated for the national forests. These designations—and
the associated guidelines for management activities that may
occur there—can make a difference to you and your quality
of life. |
Why are Land Management Plans Revised?
Land Management Plans give direction for management decisions
and were formulated in the context of the issues and resource
conditions at the time that they were created. Until they
are revised or amended, the direction that is in place guides
management decisions. Some direction in the current plans
is likely still appropriate given the current issues and resource
conditions; some, probably, is not, as the issues and resource
conditions may have changed. Land Management Plans can be
amended at any time, as needed.
As of March 2004, each of the Plans for the Malheur, Umatilla,
Wallowa-Whitman, and Ochoco National Forest have been amended
an average of 35 times. Click here
to see a list of the amendments. In contrast to an amendment,
a plan revision is when the Forest Service and the public
take stock and develop a Revised Land Management Plan for
the next 15 years.
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How Will We Revise the Land Management Plans?
The Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman Whitman National
Forests are combining efforts to revise their Land Management
Plans. The current Plans are near the end of their intended
15-year life.
The new Plans will address the substantial resource and social
changes that have occurred since the early 1990s when the
original Plans were created. They will also reflect the considerable
gains in scientific knowledge that have occurred since then.
Plan revision will not start from scratch, but will be focused
on what needs to be changed. This will allow us to keep the
things that work and change the things that are not working.
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Plan revision is the time to evaluate the Land Management Plans,
review the management direction, identify new issues, incorporate
the current science and best information, and to set the stage for
the next 15 years for the places and resources you care about.
During Plan revision you have an opportunity to contribute. We
encourage everyone who cares about the national forests to work
with us develop the revised plans. Working together means sharing
information and communicating openly while management options are
being developed and considered, while being mindful of the legal
requirements that the Forest Service must follow (see Public
Participation).
What Laws and Regulations Affect Forest Planning?
The designated responsible
official will make his decision in an existing framework of laws
that defines the extent of his decision space. In addition to following
the National Forest Management Act (NFMA), plans must set multiple-use
goals and objectives, management prescriptions, and guidelines that
are consistent with other laws, including the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield
Act (MUSYA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act
(CWA), the Clean Air Act (CAA), the Mining Law of 1872, the National
Wilderness Preservation System Act, the National Historic Preservation
Act (NHPA), and others. A more detailed description of each of these
laws and regulations can be found at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/biology/planning/index.html
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