On February 10, the USDA Forest Service (FS) released its proposed new rule to update the agency's land management-planning process, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.The effort is the latest attempt to update the current planning policy that was finalized in 1982. FS land management plans guide management activities on the193 million acres within 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands in the National Forest System. The new rule is intended to provide a science-based and collaborative framework for the planning process in order to support ecological as well as economic sustainability. The goal will be to ensure the "social and economic sustainability" of rural communities.

"This proposed planning rule seeks to conserve our forests for the benefit of water, wildlife, recreation and the economic vitality of our rural communities," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "The proposed rule will provide the tools to the Forest Service to make our forests more resilient to many threats, including pests, catastrophic fire and climate change. Healthy forests and economically strong rural communities form a solid foundation as we work to win the future for the next generation."

The primary component of the new planning process is an adaptive management protocol of assessment, revision/amendment and monitoring that is intended to keep plans current between formal revisions. The framework will allow for plans to be updated when changing conditions are identified through new information or monitoring. Much of this flexibility is touted as a way to adapt to the effects of a changing climate.

The proposed rule emphasizes local decision making to accommodate this management framework by giving increased authority to local supervisors to work with the public to determine the best uses of the forest. Plans will consider the full suite of multiple uses on the landscape including watershed, wildlife and fish, outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, energy, minerals, wilderness, ecosystem services, and other relevant resources, uses and values. In addition the plans will be required to provide for sustainable recreation on the unit. There is an increased public participation process built into the plans.

The proposed rule will have some substantial philosophical shifts for wildlife management on FS lands. Rather than identifying indicator species to determine the health of the ecosystem, the new plans provide for diverse native plant and animal species. Specific management priorities, according to the agency, will focus on "providing healthy, resilient and connected habitat conditions, targeting additional provisions for at-risk species, and recognizing the need to work across land management boundaries to protect a species across its range."

The current planning policy, adopted nearly 30 years ago, has been said to be cumbersome and difficult to update in a timely manner. However, efforts to update the rule have met with strong objections and regularly overturned in the courts. The most recent efforts to effect updates to the planning rule were in 2005 and 2008, but implementation was halted by federal district court and was set aside in 2009 by the current Administration. Currently, 68 of the 127 land management plans for National Forest System lands are past due for revision.

According to the FS, the proposed rule is the result of the most participatory development process in the agency's history. There were more than 40 public meetings with more than 3,000 participants across the country. In addition, the FS received and reviewed more than 26,000 comments submitted when revision of the rule was announced.

The new planning rule is open for its final comment period, which will end May 16. The agency will host a national public forum from Washington, D.C., on March 10. It will be open to the public and broadcasted over the web. In addition, there will be a series of regional forums for public participation. The current schedule of public meetings is available on the FS website. (jas)