Planning

Olympic National Forest Plan 

All management actions at Olympic National Forest is guided and directed by the Olympic National Forest 1990 Land and Resource Management Plan as amended by the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. These plans comprise a comprehensive ecosystem management strategy that strives to maintain both a sustainable economy and environment through the use of varied land allocations with different management emphases. 

The three types of allocations found on the Olympic National Forest include:

• Late Successional Reserves are areas designed to serve as habitat for late-successional and old growth related species including the northern spotted owl.
• Adaptive Management Areas are designed to develop and test innovative approaches for integrating economic and ecological goals.
• Riparian Reserves are areas designed to protect the health of aquatic systems and their dependent species, and to provide incidental benefits to upland species.

In addition to land allocations, the Aquatic Conservation Strategy of the Northwest Forest Plan plays an integral role to aid the recovery of fish habitat, riparian habitat, and water quality on the Olympic National Forest. 

Northwest Forest Plan

• Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP)
• View the 20 Year Reports for the Northwest Forest Plan - 6/8/2015

Olympic National Forest 1990 Land and Resource Management Plan

• Record of Decision (.PDF File - 1.9 mb)
• Northwest Forest Plan Amendments (.PDF File - 148 kb)
• Olympic National Forest 1990 Land and Resource Management Plan (.PDF File - 13 mb)
• Final EIS (.PDF File - 28 mb)
• Appendices A-J (.PDF File - 26 mb)
• Appendix K (.PDF File - 14.5 mb)

Forest Plan Monitoring Program

Olympic National Forest Plan Transition Monitoring plan (.pdf)

Forest Plan Revision

The Pacific Northwest (OR, WA) and Pacific Southwest (CA) Regions of the U.S. Forest Service have initiated a public conversation on the process for revising forest land management plans within the Northwest Forest Plan amendment area. 

On April 28, 2015 the Olympia National Forest held a joint Forest Plan Revision Listening Session with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. At the session 63 members of the public signed in and participated. The objectives of the meeting were to:

• Listen to ideas and thoughts about how to approach public engagement for forest plan revisions on each forest,
• Share our current thoughts on plan revision, and
• Share how science will inform the process.  

Facilitators documented all comments and transcribed them into one document. View the Listening Session Comments, April 28, 2015 (PDF). This recorded information will assist both Olympic and Gifford Pinchot National Forests with their Forest Plan Revision processes.

For more information visit the Region 6 Plan Revision website.

Biological Opinion for Forest Management Activities

The Endangered Species Act requires federal agencies to review their actions to ensure they do not jeopardize the continued existence of federally listed species or result in the destruction or adverse modification of listed critical habitat. If federal actions may affect federally listed species, the agency must consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To streamline the process, the Olympic National Forest requested consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on multiple projects that have a similar design and occur repeatedly.

Learn more about, and read, the current U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Opinion for Programmatic Forest Management Activities on the Olympic National Forest.

Watershed Action Plans

Whole watershed restoration and management requires a collaborative effort with diverse landowners across the peninsula. Restoration activities include: improving water quality, restoring fish passage, and recovering aquatic health by stabilizing, decommissioning, and upgrading hundreds of miles of old logging roads within the forest.

We are actively collaborating to restore three priority watersheds that fall within the Olympic National Forest:

• Calawah Watershed Information & Action Plan
• Dungeness Watershed Information & Action Plan
• Skokomish Watershed Information & Action Plan

Travel Analysis

As part of a national effort, we conducted an analysis of National Forest System roads to identify the minimum road system needed “for travel and for administration, utilization, and protection of National Forest System lands.”

Travel Analysis Report:

Olympic National Forest Travel Analysis Report (.pdf) - Purpose of analysis is to complete requirements for Travel Analysis in Subpart A of  the 2005 Travel Management Rule.

Appendices:

• Map of Likely Needed & Not Needed Roads (.pdf)
• List of Roads Likely Needed (.pdf)
• List of Roads Likely Not Needed (.pdf)
• List of Access Needs and Risk (.pdf)

Frequently Asked Questions about Travel Analysis

*National Environmental Policy Act guides the process of all management actions on the forest.