Environmental Management System (EMS) - Aspects

Environmental Aspects

Environmental aspects describe how an organization’s activities, products and/or services interact with the environment. An impact is how an aspect changes the environment. The organization needs to identify how it affects the environment, prioritize aspects, and use the EMS to manage, control, and improve upon the aspects.

Significant environmental aspects become a focus by the National Forest or Grassland ensuring that operational controls are in place to manage impacts and that monitoring provides feedback for continual improvement.

The significant environmental aspects for the five National Forests (the Region One 5 National Forests are the Bitterroot, Flathead, Idaho Panhandle, Kootenai and Lolo) currently implementing EMS are:

( 5 Region One Forests) Timber harvest (including log hauling) and the impacts on:

• Native wildlife habitat,
• Grizzly bear or elk security,
• Watershed condition and aquatic habitats,
• Soil productivity, and
• Invasive weed introduction or spread.

( 5 Region One Forests) Fire suppression and wildland fire use activities and the impact on:

• Invasive weed introduction or spread.

( 5 Region One Forests) Motorized travel on roads, trails and areas and the impact on:

• Invasive weed introduction or spread,
• Grizzly bear or elk security, and
• Watershed condition and aquatic habitats.

(National EMS for all Forests, Grasslands and the Regional Office) Fleet Management and the impacts on:

• Greenhouse gas emissions from using petroleum-based fuels.

USDA Forest Service - Northern Region
Last Modified: Wednesday, 23 July 2008 at 13:20:07 EDT