Welcome to the U. S. Forest Service Planning Rule Revision!
 Nearly 300,000 comments were received on the proposed rule and draft environmental impact statement during the 90-day comment period which closed May 16, 2011. Comments were received from a wide range of individuals, groups and organizations as well as state, county, Tribal and federal governments. The Forest Service now looks forward to reviewing and analyzing these comments to help develop the final rule and final environmental impact statement. Publication of the final rule is anticipated in early 2012.
Forest Service Seeks Nominations for a Planning Rule FACA Committee
Applications to serve on a newly-formed advisory committee to guide management of our national forests and grasslands are now available. Members selected to serve on the National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule will advise and give recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service on implementation of the new planning rule. The 45-day nomination period closes Feb. 21, 2012.
Visit the Planning Rule FACA webpage for further information on the Committee and the application process. Additional details on the committee are available in the Federal Register, or by calling 202-205-0830.
Development of the Proposed Planning Rule
This proposed planning rule was the outcome of an open and transparent development process and the Forest Service has gone to extraordinary lengths, reaching well beyond normal practices, to help the public understand and comment including:
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Hosting 29 national and regional public forums to provide stakeholders with information about the proposed rule and respond to questions;
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Providing a 90-day comment period, which was 45 days more than the review and comment period required by National Environmental Policy Act regulations for draft environmental impact statements;
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Providing multiple options for members of the public to submit comments including two websites, by hard copy mail, and by facsimile; and
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Ensuring that our planning rule website contains background information on the proposed rule as well as summaries of the various collaboration and public involvement activities held during the preparation of the proposed rule.
The Forest Service appreciates your participation throughout the rule development process as well as all of the comments received thus far. Comments can be viewed at:
http://contentanalysisgroup.com/fsrd/
Science Review of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for National Forest System Land Management Planning is Now Available
Information on the proposed rule is available in the "News" section below.
Use the links in the left banner of this website to learn about the history of forest planning; the basics on what's involved in forest planning and why it's important; opportunities for collaboration and public involvement in the rulemaking process; and answers to frequently answered questions (FAQs) about the rulemaking process.
Video message: 2011 Proposed Forest Planning Rule
March 10, 2011, National Public Forum: Videos and Presentations
News
USDA Forest Service Unveils Proposed Planning Rule (Press Release)
Public Meetings Held During the Comment Period
The Agency hosted a national public forum to discuss the proposed rule on March 10, 2011, in Washington DC. The meeting was open to the public and was Web cast to allow for greater participation. Twenty-eight regional forums were also held around the country.
Further Information
Using What We've Heard
Throughout 2010, the USDA Forest Service hosted a series of public meetings and conducted Tribal consultation to provide opportunities for input and dialogue on the development of a new planning rule. The Forest Service The agency considered the feedback received through these efforts, and used public input, the results of Tribal consultation, science, and agency expertise to develop the proposed rule.
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For 2010 Science Forum and Roundtable results and information visit our Collaboration & Public Involvement page here.
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Learn about the overall collaboration strategy for the Planning Rule here.
2009 Notice of Intent (NOI)
News Releases on the Planning Rule
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