Press

Timber Wars Over.. Role of Forest Planning Process??

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (center) expresses his appreciation for being given the opportunity to tour and learn more about Arizona’s groundbreaking effort to restore forest health and protect fire-threatened communities. Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (left) and various local and forest officials accompanied Vilsack on the tour.

Please see story on Four Forests Initiative in Arizona.

It would seem to support the ideas of landscape scale decisions and collaboration, and the forest plan as a compilation of decisions made, rather than the instrument of decision making. Also, as Andy maintains, if NFMA is about timber, and if timber wars are over, then should forest plans be simply a large loose-leaf notebook of decisions made at different scales? Is there any “there” there?

Also it brings up Martin’s question of large scale NEPA- will ask around how they are handling it and report back.

biological diversity press release on new rule

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Forest Service Embarks on Fourth Drafting of
National Planning Rules That Could Have Major Impact on Wildlife
More Than 100 Groups Urge Independent Scientific Input
WASHINGTON—
The U.S. Forest Service today announced its intent to develop new
regulations to implement the National Forest Management Act of 1976, a
rule that will govern all regional forest plans and site-specific
projects – such as timber sales, livestock grazing, and road
construction – throughout the entire 193-million-acre national forest
system. Federal courts ruled against the agency’s attempts in 2000, 2005, and 2008 to revise its original 1982 rule. (more)

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/nfma-12-17-2009.html