National Forest Planning Rule
What is Forest Planning
Can you imagine trying to manage 155 very different and unique children? Well, that is what the U.S. Forest Service does with our many national forests.
Our national forests are the backbone of America’s public lands system. And creating plans for each of them takes time, money and community participation. Forest planning looks at everything from logging to protecting threatened species. Because forests transcend centuries, the plans need to be thoughtful of the next generation and the long-term needs of the community and land.
The National Forest Management Act or NFMA is the basic law that the Forest Service must follow in developing forest planning rules to manage national forests. Passed in 1976, the Act has three special features:
- The Forest Service is required to involve the public in forest planning.
- The Forest Service must develop and update a 10 to 15 year plan for how it would manage the land and resources in each individual national forest.
- All management activities in the national forest must be consistent with the forest plan.
National forest planning rule
As it turns out, in the history of the Forest Service, there has only been one successful forest planning rule. While it is effective, the rule dates back to 1982, and does not address 21st century forest planning issues like sustainable recreation and climate change.
Accordingly, the Obama administration revised the 1982 rule, and after much public input, replaced it with one that addresses the current needs of our forests and surrounding communities.
Planning directives
Planning directives explain the nitty-gritty details and requirements the Forest Service must adhere to when implementing the new planning rule. While many of us will never read a planning directive, they are what guides the detailed development of forest plans and are relied on heavily by Forest Service employees and stakeholders. The directives are comprised of the Forest Service Manuals and related Forest Service Handbooks.
National advisory committee
The Forest Service is setting up a national committee to help guide the initial implementation of the new planning rule. The committee’s official title is the “National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule.”
Helpful links
- The National Forest Management Act:
http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nfma/includes/NFMA1976.pdf - National Forest Management Act planning directives:
http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nfma/index5.html - National advisory committee:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/planningrule/home/?cid=stelprdb5346267 - Forest Service manual:
http://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives/dughtml/fsm1000.html - Forest Service handbook:
http://www.fs.fed.us/im/directives/dughtml/fsh1000.html
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Betty White first visited California’s Sierra Nevada at age four. That visit, and visits almost every year thereafter, made a lasting impression on her.
Friday, May 24, 2013The U.S. Coast Guard began multi-day investigatory hearings on May 20 into Royal Dutch Shell's drilling rig the Kulluk, which went aground near Kodiak Island, Alaska, last New Year’s Eve.
Thursday, May 23, 2013Which is why this week legislation that would protect these lands was introduced yet again, granting these lands another opportunity for well-deserved recognition and conservation.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013Yet, here we are, with people and the government unable to stop furloughs, job losses, and lower revenue to keep the government functioning. Our public lands have certainly not been spared from this indiscriminate budget ax.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013But Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski refused to accept that decision. She and residents of the tiny community of King Cove are fighting to have the decision overturned.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013Birdwatchers travel from far and wide to northwest Colorado to see male sage-grouse strut their stuff in hopes of attracting a mate. Early spring is prime season to catch these timid grouse dancing on the lek and shaking their tail feathers through organized tours.
Members of the Western Clean Energy Advocates (WCEA), signed a letter encouraging Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to to sign SB 252, to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard for rural electric providers
. WCEA is a diverse and growing coalition working to transform the way we produce, use, and distribute energy across the West. WCEA aims to create jobs, protect the West’s water, wildlife, and ecosystems, address climate change, and enhance energy security.
Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands
Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.
Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places.
The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013Witness testimony today by Noble’s Offshore Installation Manager Todd Case as he was questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the Kulluk drill rig -- which Shell attempted to tow across the Gulf of Alaska with a single tow vessel before it broke loose and ran aground last New Year’s Eve -- should have had multiple tow vessels for safe transport.
Case was aboard the Kulluk when it went adrift and ran aground on a small island south of Kodiak.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013U.S. Representatives Don Young and Doc Hastings have introduced H.R. 1964 in an effort to scrap the Department of the Interior’s recently finalized, comprehensive plan for the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the nation’s largest tract of public land. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill.
Monday, May 20, 2013Identifying smart steps the Obama Administration, including the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management, can take to continue building a responsible program for renewable energy are part of a “blueprint for action” released by The Wilderness Society today.