Nez Perce National Historic Trail Comprehensive Management Plan Revision (CMP)

Nez Perce National Historic Trail Comprehensive Management Plan Revision

Plan Revision Process and Timelines

Public Participation

News from the Nez Perce National Historic Trail

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Comprehensive Management Plan Revision - Nez Perce National Historic Trail

The Nez Perce National Historic Trail   

Completed in response to provisions of the National Trails System Act, the 1990 Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), has guided the USDA Forest Service in managing the 1,170-mile Nez Perce National Historic Trail (NPNHT) for more than 20 years.   Congress authorized the NPNHT in 1986 to commemorate the 1877 Nez Perce War and Flight. The Trail, including associated sites and auto tours, crosses a mix of local, county, state, federal, and tribal jurisdictions and agencies in four Forest Service regions, across Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.

Nez Perce National Historic Trail Comprehensive Management Plan Revision

Why? 

The 1990 CMP is obsolete, and no longer serves the needs of the administering agency and its many cooperators.  Two interagency reviews of the 1990 NPNHT CMP have determined that the Plan needs to be revised.

The 1990 NPNHT CMP is currently not in compliance with National Trails System Act (NTSA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). While considered a good foundation document for its time, the CMP did not comply with key NTSA planning requirements, failing to:

• Specify management objectives or practices. 
• Identify significant resources.
• Incorporate model cooperative agreements.
• Identify carrying capacity.
• Include an acquisition plan.
• Address general or site-specific development plans, with costs.
• Meaningfully involve the public.

Why now? 

The action is needed now because the NPNHT Comprehensive Management Plan is more than 20 years old and does not address some current issues. For instance, public interest in and advocacy for this unique resource has recently increased. The plan does not address how to cooperate with organizations and individuals in a consistent manner. Similarly, the plan does not address recent changes to the NPNHT such as cell towers, urban sprawl, and increasing unmanaged recreation activities.  The 1990 NPNHT CMP predated the 1992 Nez Perce National Historical Park Additions Act, by which the NPS-administered Park expanded to encompass key NPNHT sites along the 1,170-mile Trail. A revised CMP benefits both agencies by informing management of its shared components. 

A revised CMP will similarly complement BLM and National Forest-administered Trail segments by clarifying the NPNHT’s relationship to their respective management plans. The Federal Highway Administration’s America’s Byways program, created in 1990, features state and federally designated scenic motorways which incorporate or parallel NPNHT auto tour routes, providing an additional avenue for Trail cooperation, promotion, and interpretation among state and local byway coordinators. Population growth, economic transition (particularly in forest and related resource industry-supported communities), and technology shifts pose added changes to Trail resources. These include reduced Forest Service funding of road maintenance, recreation, and law enforcement; urban sprawl; cell towers; geocaching; and increased unmanaged recreation activities that degrade and destroy sensitive Trail sites and resources, or create conflicts with traditional equestrian and pedestrian Trail users.

Who is Responsible for the Trail CMP?
The Trail is administered by the Forest Service. The Regional Forester of the Northern Region is the responsible official. The Forest Service cooperates with the following agencies:

• National Park Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• Bureau of Reclamation
• US Army Corp of Engineers
• Affected Tribes
• State and Local Government

Who is Invited to Participate?
All interested stakeholders and communities, for whom the Trail represents particular values related to heritage and remembrance. 

How can You Participate?
A series of Public Workshops will be held in communities along the entire length of the NPNHT. 

Because the NPNHT is a National Historic Trail we invite interested public from across the nation to participate in this process via this website, at any of the scheduled workshops or by mail.

Plan Revision Process and Timelines

Why do we need to start a Planning Process for the NPNHT?

The NPNHT is administered by the USDA Forest Service. The Regional Forester, Northern Region, in Missoula, Montana is delegated the responsibility for decisions associated with the Trail in cooperation with other federal agencies with Trail jurisdiction. The existing Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP) needs to be updated to comply with new requirements of the National Trail System Act (NTSA). This plan will be prepared through an environmental analysis process pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

First Step = Comprehensive Evaluation of the existing Plan.
(36 CFR 219.2 (d) (3), 36 CFR 219.6, FSH 1909.12, ch. 20)
This step has been initiated to address the findings of two reports, an Interagency Committee Review Report (2006), and a National Park Service Report (2008). These reviews identified many items that need to be updated or added to the plan to address compliance with the NTSA and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Both reports have been submitted to the Trail Administrator and the Responsible Official (Regional Forester, Northern Region, USDA Forest Service).

Second Step = Tribal Consultation.
The Regional Forester will notify the Tribal Governments that a revision process is being initiated for the NPNHT CMP. The Regional Forester will request Tribal Government direction on how they would like to participate in the development of the CMP for the Trail. Tribal Consultation continues throughout all steps of the planning process.

Third Step = Develop the Community Involvement Strategy.
The purpose of public involvement is to develop a strategy to meaningfully engage all interested parties in the CMP revision process. Interested parties include the tribes, local and federal governments and agencies, non-governmental organizations, and members of the public.

Fourth Step = Implement the Community Involvement Strategy.
Community involvement occurs during all phases of the CMP revision. Interested parties will be provided the opportunity to be a part of a collaborative process.

Early participation by the public, tribes, and government partners will be requested in steps 1-4 to help provide information needed to assess the existing CMP, to identify management objectives for the revision of the CMP and to develop a proposed action for the revision of the CMP. This proposed action will be evaluated in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in step 6. In step 7, collaborative public participation will continue and formal public comment under NEPA will be enlisted.

Fifth Step = Development of Purpose and Need and Proposed Action (PA).
Steps 1-4 will inform the development of the PA.

Sixth Step = Project Initiation.
The Responsible Official signs a Project Initiation Letter (PIL) designating an ID Team to analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the PA, seek public comment on issues, and develop alternatives to the PA through an EIS.

Seventh Step = Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS, NEPA process begins.
The Notice of Intent (NOI) includes a call for public comment (scoping) on the PA. The comment period is usually 45 days.

Eighth Step = Issue Identification and Development of Alternatives.
The Content Analysis of scoping identifies issues related to the PA. The Issues are used to develop alternatives to the PA and Indicators used to compare alternatives. The Issues, Alternatives, and Indicators are approved by the Responsible Official.

Ninth Step = Prepare the Draft EIS.
The ID Team documents the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of the PA and Alternative Actions as well as a draft CMP for the preferred alternative identified in the Draft EIS.

Tenth Step = Public Review of the DEIS.
The comment period is usually 45 days. Analyze and Respond to comments to determine if any new information is received or needed.

Eleventh Step = Consultations.
Tribes, SHPOs, THPOs, FWS, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA).

Twelfth Step = Decision and Final EIS.
The NEPA process is completed, a final decision is made and the appeal process begins for the Forest Service. If no appeal is filed, Step 14 will occur. If there is an appeal, Step 13 will need to be followed.

Thirteenth Step = Administrative Review will be required per 36 CFR 215.

Fourteenth Step = Implementation and Monitoring of CMP.
This phase will be administered by the lead agency (USDA, Forest Service), and managed by those land management federal agencies that have jurisdiction on the Trail (in consultation with tribes and regulatory agencies) in collaboration with our partners, volunteers and the general public.

Public Participation

We welcome your comments and suggestions during this process. Your participation in the following public workshops is valued.  It is important to ensure that the results of the CMP process meet expectations by offering quality recreation opportunities in places important to people.

Good public participation and communication is an integral part of the CMP revision process.

Nez Perce National Historic Trail managers invite you to work with them to identify how to best manage the Trail.

News from the Nez Perce National Historic Trail

• Quarterly Progress Report (Trail Newsletter)
• Newsroom

For More Information

If you have specific questions or you want to be put on the NPNHT CMP mailing list for future notification, please contact Sandi McFarland Trail Administrator or Roger Peterson, Public Affairs Specialist. 

Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Administration
12730 Highway 12
Orofino, Idaho 83544
(208) 476-8334
smcfarland01@fs.fed.us

Julie Molzahn, Nez Perce NHT CMP Team
Northern Region (remote from Plains)
PO Box 429
408 Clayton
Plains, MT. 59859
406-826-4352
Cell: 406-214-2156
jmolzahn@fs.fed.us

Nez Perce National Historic Trail
Public Affairs
PO Box 7669
200 Broadway
Missoula, MT  59807
(406) 329-3540
rmpeterson@fs.fed.us

You may also submit comments, questions or requests to be added to the NPNHT CMP mailing list online to: npnht-CMP-rev@fs.fed.us

Trail Planning Documents

Background/Reference Documents

Key Links

USDA Forest Service
US Forest Service Northern Region - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest - http://www.fs.usda.gov/bdnf
Bitterroot National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/bitterroot/
Clearwater National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/clearwater/
Caribou-Targhee National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/
Gallatin National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/gallatin/
Hells Canyon National Recreation Area - http://www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/
Lolo National Forest - http://.www.fs.usda.gov/lolo
Nez Perce National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/nezperce/
Salmon-Challis National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/
Shoshone National Forest - http://www.fs.usda.gov/shoshone/
Wallowa-Whitman National Forest - http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/w-w/

USDI Brueau of Land Managment
Idaho State Office - http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en.html
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument - http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/lewistown_field_office/umrbnm.html
Montana/Dakotas State Office - http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en.html
Oregon State Office - http://www.blm.gov/or/index.php
Wyoming State Office - http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en.html

USDI National Park Service
Nez Perce National Historical Park - http://www.nps.gov/nepe/index.htm
Big Hole National Battlefield - http://www.nps.gov/biho/index.htm
Bear Paw Battlefield - http://www.nps.gov/nepe/planyourvisit/bear-paw-battlefield.htm
Yellowstone National Park - http://www.nps.gov/yell

USDI US Fish and Wildlife Service
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge - http://www.fws.gov/cmr/
Lee Metcalf Natioanal Wildlife Refuge -http://www.fws.gov/leemetcalf/
Kooskia National Fish Hatchery - http://www.fws.gov/kooskia/

Nez Perce Trail Foundation - http://www.nezpercetrail.net/

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Nez Perce National Historic Trail

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