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Pacific Northwest Region

Oregon / Washington

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Department of Agriculture

US Forest Service

Pacific Northwest Region

Forest Service Planning Rule

Page Contents

Planning Rule Overview

The US Forest Service is undertaking a collaborative process to develop a proposed, new Planning Rule to address current and future needs of the 155 national forests and 20 grasslands in the National Forest System. The proposed Planning Rule will provide the framework for individual forests and grasslands to use in developing, amending and revising land management plans. The desired outcome for this collaborative, rule-making process is to create a new Planning Rule that is successful, practical, and supported by the public. The rule must also meet the requirements of the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to develop the new Planning Rule.

"Our National Forests and Grasslands are great natural treasures that we must conserve and restore for the benefit of future generations," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Developing a new planning rule provides the opportunity to manage national forests and grasslands for the benefit of water resources, the climate and local communities."

Planning Rule Report

Below is the copy of the Planning Rule Report.

Collaborative Input Needed to Update Planning Rule

The Forest Service will communicate with the public and interested stakeholders to facilitate participation in updating the Planning Rule. As part of this national effort, public roundtable meetings will be held in Portland, Oregon on April 6, 2010. At these meetings, the Forest Service will be listening to suggestions from the public on a set of potential principles that have been developed to guide the rule-making process. The principles include restoration, conservation, ecosystems resilience, watershed health, climate change, species diversity, wildlife habitat, sustainable National Forest System lands, collaboration, and working across landscapes. Both Substantive and Process Principles for a New Rule were published in the December 18, 2009, Federal Register (http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-30171.htm). The principles are listed below:

Substantive Principles for a New Rule

  • Land management plans could address the need for restoration and conservation to enhance the resilience of ecosystems to a variety of threats.
  • Plans could proactively address climate change through monitoring, mitigation and adaptation, and could allow flexibility to adapt to changing conditions and incorporate new information.
  • Land management plans could emphasize maintenance and restoration of watershed health, and could protect and enhance America’s water resources.
  • Plans could provide for the diversity of species and wildlife habitat.
  • Plans could foster sustainable national forest lands and their contribution to vibrant rural economies.

Process Principles for a New Rule

  • Land management planning could involve effective and pro-active collaboration with the public.
  • Plans could incorporate an ‘all-hands’ approach by considering the relationship between national forest lands and neighboring lands.
  • Plans could be based on the latest planning science and principles to achieve the best decisions possible.

Roundtable Outcomes

A summary report of the ideas and perspectives shared at the meeting will identify key themes, including areas of agreement and disagreement, as well as areas for further consideration. A team will use the report to develop the new Planning Rule as well as alternatives for consideration.

Roundtable Events - Tuesday, April 6, 2010

The Region 6 Roundtables will include three (repeat) sessions beginning at 9:00 am, 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm PDT on Tuesday, April 6, 2010. You are welcome to participate in any or all of these sessions. Each session will begin with a plenary presentation, followed by facilitated roundtable discussions.

  • Open house hours are from Noon to 1:00 pm PDT, and from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm PDT.
  • Where - Doubletree-Lloyd Center (Multnomah Room), Portland, Oregon.
  • Agenda - 02 April 2010 - Word .doc File - 779 kb
  • Presentation - 02 April 2010 - Powerpoint .pps File - 1.40 MB

Who Should Attend?

  • General Public & Interested Stakeholders

Save The Date & RSVP

You are invited to share your ideas at the Pacific Northwest (Region 6) Roundtable on April 6, 2010.

Roundtable sessions will begin at 9:00 am, 1:00 pm, and 6:00 pm PDT at the Doubletree-Lloyd Center in Portland, Oregon. Open house hours are from Noon to 1:00 pm PDT and from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm PDT.

Please RSVP by sending an email to ForestServiceMtg@LSAResults.com with your name and organizational affiliation. Your RSVP is not required, but helpful for planning purposes.

Additional Resources

To encourage widespread participation the Forest Service is using new media tools in conjunction with the public meetings.

Please visit http://blogs.usda.gov/usdablogs/planningrule/ to participate in the Forest Service planning rule blog.