Thanks to Steve Wilent for this one…
Maybe my math is off, but it sounds like 90 days after sometime in October will be close to Inauguration(Jan 20) so they are not in a hurry, because analysis of the comments will clearly take time. I think that’s a good thing for employees, the public, and good policy.
This reminds me of when we were working on Colorado Roadless right before an election; Mark Rey (the Undersec at the time) told us something like “a good process will hold up across Admins, so just take your time.” The end result decision in our case was ultimately signed by Hickenlooper and Obama.. and still litigated for a substantial period of time by the usual suspects. And so it goes…
Update on the Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan
Portland, Ore. (August 27, 2024) – The USDA Forest Service is informing partners, collaborators, and the public that the release of the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan, initially anticipated at the end of August, is now expected in October.
When released, the draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register which will start a 90-day public comment period allowing all interested parties to provide input on the proposed amendment.
The USDA Forest Service is amending the Northwest Forest Plan to address changed conditions with a focus on five key areas: wildfire resilience, climate change adaptation, tribal inclusion, sustainable communities, and conservation of old growth ecosystems and related biodiversity. The Forest Service is committed to preserving the elements of the plan that are working well while incorporating the latest science to help forests adapt to social, economic, cultural, and ecological changes.
The Northwest Forest Plan covers 24.5 million acres of federally managed lands in California, Oregon, and Washington. It was established in 1994 to address threats to threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region. After nearly 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan needs to be updated to accommodate changed ecological and social conditions.
For more information visit the Northwest Forest Plan webpage at: www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfp
Not specifically related to NWFP, but driving around some Eastside Forests with dry-site ponderosa, I never did see the new methodology for implementing the “clumpy/groupy” management strategy. I’m a big proponent of GTR-310, and see it fitting quite well in Region 6.
I was as guilty as any, back in the day, forcing uniform stand conditions on a species that doesn’t grow that way! It took a while, but even this old dog learned…..I wish I had developed it instead of it being developed on my Forest, while I was Sup…. That’s good enough, I reckon……🤠
I personally implemented many clumps and gaps within thinning units, on the Eldorado. I didn’t like making existing gaps larger, but I did have a good eye for leaving the clumps. It’s like having diversity within the diversity (assuming that “protected” lands provide their own diversity, outside of the project area).
I’ve also seen the clump strategy in thinned plantations. I understand that is more about screening for wildlife. It’s kinda cool, though.
I’m not sure what they are doing here, on the Shasta-Trinity NF. Years ago, I did a substantial amount of work out here, in thinning projects. They did have some disease problems (orange gall rust) in the lodgepole pines. https://www.google.com/maps/@41.3180407,-121.7586957,1104m/data=!3m1!1e3?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
I see you “get it”, Larry, I can tell by the way you told of it! These types of thinnings need to start at the pre commercial stage, and carried through black barks. I almost had a mutiny from the marking crew over clumps and groups. I went out and marked with them, discussing the reasons why; I’m the only Forest Sup I ever knew of that toted a marking gun…..🤣
If all you were going to take, anyway, was a few 12″ diameter trees (over 2 acres), you aren’t losing much in leaving the clump. I would look for a clump of large trees, which were off-limits, as it is. Sometimes that clump would turn out to be a vigorous ‘community’ of larger sugar pines, making a pleasant shady spot, for man or beast (or birdy).
Here’s my best personal example of clumps in commercial thinning:
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6122094,-120.3311971,287m/data=!3m1!1e3?authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyNi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
(sorry about the long URL) There are two clumps, centered in the image. Upper one is left of center, a little. Lower one is right of center, a little.