Creating a Forest Plan

Have you ever asked yourself:

How are our forests managed?

What’s the process like?

Does the public have a say?

These are important questions to ask because the way our forests are managed affects every one of us—not just those who hike, camp, or recreate on public lands. Clean air, fresh drinking water, recreational opportunities, and wildlife are all affected by decisions made in the forest.    

Here in southern Oregon we are surrounded by public land. Locally, these lands are primarily managed by two different agencies, the U.S. Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). For example, the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest is managed by the Forest Service and the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument is managed by the BLM. Each agency manages public lands differently; in this post, we focus on the Forest Service and their process of forest management. 

What is a Forest Plan?

Under the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) of 1976, all national forests are required to develop forest plans, set standards for timber sales, and create policies to regulate timber harvesting. NFMA also requires the Forest Service to revise its forest plans every 15 years. 

Forest plans set the overall management direction and guidance for each of our national forests. These plans do not provide site-specific direction, such as where to put a recreation trail, but instead guide management activities at a forest wide scale, providing direction of uses within each national forest. 

In many ways, a forest plan is similar to a city comprehensive plan which helps guide land use and development zones. In the same way that your town or city is planned to designate where particular uses (such as industrial and residential) may occur, national forests are planned to identify areas intended for specific uses such as timber harvest, primitive recreation, or rare plant protection. Sometimes land use designations overlap each other, such as when streams with protected areas around them flow through lands suitable for timber production. Carefully balancing multiple uses is an important part of forest planning to protect resources, support sustainable uses, and maintain healthy ecosystems. 

Why is this important?

In the Pacific Northwest—including all of the National Forests in southern Oregon and northern California—are  guided by a comprehensive plan, called the Northwest Forest Plan. This plan was written in 1994, and is finally set to be updated. KS Wild is tracking the early stages of this forest plan revision. We are working to ensure that older forests are protected, clean water is preserved, and climate change is considered as the Forest Service updates their plans.