GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT

PLANNING PROCESS - STAGE TWO

Last year, as we continued to meet with community leaders and interested stakeholders (in particular those with a fondness for recreation in the monument), it became clear we needed to formulize a plan for the next steps for the collaborative planning process. We were developing desired conditions and identifying a decision framework for addressing values and issues, but we were not prepared to delve into the other major issues the management plan needed to address. For us to fully develop an environmental document that analyzes the social, economic, and environmental aspects of management, we need to disclose and identify information gaps.

The forest realizes much of the discussion and debate about management in the monument focuses on how we treat vegetation and where we implement fire or fuels treatments on the landscape. But information is needed as it relates to who visits the monument, where they come from, how people like to recreate, and what are the impacts of our management on the local community? We have some of this information from national recreation surveys, but it would be helpful to have a local survey implemented. We also need to understand what are in the groves.

It is important to note science advisories were developed in 2003 when the Forest formed a Science Advisory Board to help us initially craft the Giant Sequoia National Monument Plan. This group of scientists identified gaps in information as it pertains to recreation research, socio-economic research, and vegetation management in giant sequoia groves. We all know that sometimes we need more accurate or local data for us to really analyze the effects of a proposed action or project on the environment so implementing local research projects is not new. The big question is funding such projects and getting them into the system for implementation. Well, we have achieved both. We are working with the Forest Service Research branch to implement a local visitor use survey. We also have funding to update and complete the giant sequoia grove inventory started a number of years ago but never finished.

Besides starting a couple of research projects, we also have instituted two pilots to improve how we communicate with the public and integrate others into the analysis process. The Forest will be utilizing a new web design (ePubPlus) which will allow for Web-based content development, publishing, and feedback to improve the public involvement process in the development of environmental documents. The Forest also worked with a non-profit (Headwaters) to help us develop and analyze socio-economic statistics which will be used in the environmental process.

The enclosed powerpoint showcases all the elements of stage two for development of a Giant Sequoia National Monument Plan.

Monument Planning Stage Two PowerPoint