From the Planning Rule Team:
We’ve learned a tremendous amount about what should be in a new planning
rule since the Notice of Intent (NOI) was issued last December. We
received over 26,000 written comments on the NOI, over 300 blog comments
and have had over 40 public meetings attended by over 3000 people. We’ve
worked hard to get input from Tribes through our regional and national
Tribal roundtables; from scientists through the science forum and
scientists’ continued involvement throughout the roundtables; from Forest
Service employees through various internal feedback mechanisms; and from
other federal agencies through the Federal Interagency Working Group.
We’re committed to building a proposed rule and draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS) that reflect the diverse opinions and common themes that
have emerged from the public involvement process.We’ve now entered a new phase of the rule development process. We are
currently finalizing the proposed rule and DEIS for clearance by the
Department of Agriculture and Office of Management and Budget. We expect
the proposed rule and DEIS to be published in the Federal Register in late
December.We are committed to keeping planning rule development open, transparent and
participatory. Please take advantage of the following opportunities to
stay engaged over the coming months:
* We will continue to send out periodic updates on this listserv.
Encourage other people who you think would be interested to join as well.
Sign-up can be accessed from the right hand column of the planning rule
homepage or by going directly to this link.* Check back often to the planning rule website for the latest information.
* While we won’t be looking for additional blog comments on the rule
substance until the proposed rule comes out in December, the planning rule
blog will continue to host discussions on what the public engagement
process should look like when the proposed rule is released. Visit the blog
here.* You can also follow the Forest Service on Twitter here.
We will seek formal comment on the proposed rule and DEIS, and will hold
additional public meetings when the proposed rule and DEIS are published in
December.Thank you again for your involvement in the rule development process. Your
continued participation in the process will be critical to its success.