Chapter 2: Timeline of the forest plan update process
The Mountain Bike Advocate's Guide to Planning and the United States Forest Service
The Bare Minimum
- To reiterate: get on the mailing list!
- Check the forest website: Are they using the new Bush Administration 2005 planning rules?
- Learn the dates for public comment release of draft documents.
The Basics
Revising a forest plan can be a slow process. Plan revisions often involve a 2-5 year procedure. Fortunately, you don't need to spend those years frozen in suspense, monitoring every single step.
All forests allow you to sign up to receive notices when important documents are released and public comment periods begin. Check the forest webpage for their planning newsletter mailing list.
The 2005 Planning Rule
As explained in Chapter 1, in December 22, 2004 the Bush Administration approved a new set of rules governing forest plans, their scope, content, and process. The "2005 Planning Rule" is meant to streamline the planning process and make forest plans more general in nature. Forests already engaged in plan revisions can continue using the old rules or adopt the new ones. Forests that begin their planning process in 2005 or later are required to abide by the new rules. Here's a timeline and description for both sets.
| Sample Forest Plan Process (2005 Planning Rule) | |
|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Initiate Planning Process | Month 1 |
| Release Draft Forest Plan | Month 13 |
| Public Comment Period - 90 Days | Months 14-16 |
| Release Final Forest Plan | Month 22 |
| Public Objection Period - 30 Days | Months 22-23 |
| Resolve Objections and Release Final Decision | Varies |
| Sample Forest Plan Process (old rules) | |
|---|---|
| Notice of Intent to Initiate Planning Process | Month 1 |
| Scoping Comments Period | Months 1-2 |
| Publish Summary and Analysis of Comments | Month 11 |
| Release Draft of Alternatives | Month 30 |
| Release Complete Draft Forest Plan | Month 36 |
| Formal Public Comment Period | Months 36-38 |
| Publish Response to Comments on the Draft Plan | Month 40 |
| Final Forest Plan | Month 43 |
Additional Information
Public Meetings
The Forest Service will usually hold an initial series of public meetings to gather input on themes and needs to guide the plan update. The planning newsletter should announce the dates, times and locations of these meetings.
Sample Outline of a Draft Management Plan (2005 Planning Rule):
- Introduction
Usually includes a statement of purpose, description of the forest and current and desired management direction. - Goals and Objectives
Straightforward collection of statements to guide the forest towards a desired future. - Management Direction
Begins with a forest-wide summary of management guidelines, then identifies land-use types called Management Areas. Management Areas are classifications applied to subsections of the forest. This section will talk about the guidelines for each - what's allowed and what's not. - Monitoring, Evaluation and Research
This section describes how the forest will meet monitoring and evaluation requirements. The results of such efforts will often result in future changes or amendments to the plan. - Appendices
Maps and the glossary are probably the most important entries in this section.
Notice of Intent (NOI)
Published in the Federal Register, this is when the Forest announces that the forest planning process will be initiated.
Scoping Comments Period
This is very important. Scoping Comments are the first official opportunity to provide your input. Announced alongside the NOI, the Forest Service must solicit scoping comments from the public pertaining to how they would like to see the Forest managed for the next 15 years. Scoping comments are general in nature, but should also include examples or issues specific to the forest or even important individual sites. Just remember, though, that at this stage of the game the Forest Service is most interested in your general beliefs about what direction the forest should take. See a generic example of IMBA's scoping comments in Chapter 4.
Publish Summary and Analysis of Comments
The Forest Service reads all the scoping comments they've received and publishes them in a lengthy document. The report will be summarized by issue and include parts or the entirety of many comments.
Draft Alternatives
A relic of the old forest planning rules, draft alternatives are not required for forests following the 2005 Planning Rule. In the past, the Forest Service formulated a set of alternatives for each forest, each a different vision or theme for the future. Included was a preferred alternative, some format of which usually ended up as the forest plan.
DEIS and Draft Plan Comments
The second opportunity for public input, which lasts 90 days. By now, the Forest Service has taken the scoping comments and used them to assist in forming a Draft Forest Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement (old rules) or a Draft Management Plan (2005 Planning Rule). The next chapter explains how to review these documents for language that will impact your riding opportunities. Your comments should be specific in nature, pertaining to proposed policies and guidelines concerning trails, mountain bikes, or other pertinent issues. This is also the time to comment on how specific trails or areas will be affected.
