Forest Plan Revision

Record of Decision

The final Record of Decision for the Ashley National Forest Land Management Plan has been signed and is now available. Implementation will begin soon. The land management plan will become effective 30 days after the publication of the Notice of Plan Approval in the Federal Register on January 26, 2024. 

Final Environmental Impact Statement

The staff of the Ashley National Forest is pleased to announce the availability of the final environmental impact statement for the revised land management plan, as updated per the objection instructions.

These documents reflect extensive public participation through collaborative working group meetings and other public input. We greatly appreciate the commitment of interested participants who have provided important contributions toward the development of the plan. The documents also reflect a truly interdisciplinary team approach in the consideration of the input received.

Purpose of the Land Management Plan (Forest Plan)

The National Forest Management Act directs the development, amendment, and revision of land management plans to provide for the multiple use and sustained yield of the products and services on National Forest System lands, including outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, wildlife and fish, and wilderness (16 U.S.C. 1604(e)). The 2012 planning rule guides this planning using a collaborative and science-based approach to promote the economic, social, and ecological sustainability of national forests and grasslands and other administrative units of the National Forest System. For more detailed information about the 2012 planning rule, see https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/planningrule/home/.

The existing forest plan is more than 35 years old, dramatically exceeding the 10-15 year duration of plans directed by the National Forest Management Act. Since the 1986 forest plan was completed, there have been changes in ecological, social, and economic conditions in the area, as well as changes in resource demands, and availability of new scientific information and new policy. These changes necessitate a plan revision to ensure that management direction is responsive to current issues and conditions. In particular, the plan revision addresses the following topics:

  • managing for resilient ecosystems and watersheds and to protect and restore terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and non-forest communities;
  • improving tribal relationships and partnerships, manage cultural resources and areas of tribal importance, and provide for subsistence and other cultural activities;
  • economic resiliency—meeting the needs of local communities and economies while providing ecosystem services that contribute to the quality of life and sense of place for both present and future generations;
  • sustainable recreation—balancing recreation use with maintaining ecological integrity, addressing population increases and aging populations, and addressing shifts in the types of preferred recreation; and
  • to manage traditional uses and multiple uses—to recognize and protect historic and contemporary cultural uses while maintaining the long-term health and productivity of the land.

Documents

Click on the titles below to access the documents. These are also located on the project page:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=49606.

Federal Register

Record of Decision

Final Environmental Impact Statement

Forest Plan

Biological Assessment and Concurrence

 

Contacting the Ashley National Forest for more information

Forest Planner, Anastasia Allen, at (406) 270-9241 or anastasia.allen@usda.gov
Collaboration Specialist, Lars Christensen, at (385) 320-6274 or lars.christensen@usda.gov

Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf or hard of hearing (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.

 

Links to Additional Webpages, Documents, and Information

Species of Conservation Concern (SCC)

During the forest plan revision process, the Forest Service is directed to identify “species of conservation concern.” This is a type of special designation given to organisms for which there is substantial concern about their capability to persist over the long-term in a national forest.

The Regional Forester identifies SCC for forest plans developed under the 2012 planning rule. To be identified as a SCC, the species must be native and known to occur in the national forest, cannot already be a federally endangered, threatened, or candidate species, and must have sufficient scientific information available about it to conclude that there is a substantial concern for its capability to persist in the national forest over the long term. If there is insufficient scientific information available to conclude that, or if the species is secure in the national forest, then that species will not be identified as a potential species of conservation concern.

Refer to the regional Planning SCC page for more information and links to the latest SCC lists by unit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r4/landmanagement/planning/?cid=fseprd944994

Wilderness Inventory and Evaluation

Under the Wilderness Protection Act and the Forest Service 2012 Planning Rule, any National Forest undergoing a plan revision must review lands that may be suitable for a Wilderness designation and analyze the impacts from the recommendation of such lands.

Eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 establishes a National Wild and Scenic Rivers System for the protection of selected national rivers and their immediate environments.  The rivers must possess outstandingly remarkable values – to include scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values - which are to be preserved in free-flowing condition. The Forest Service 2012 Planning Rule requires a comprehensive inventory of rivers, and their evaluation for eligibility, during a plan revision.



Quick Links

Key Contacts

Anastasia Allen
Forest Planner
(406) 270-9241
anastasia.allen@usda.gov

Lars Christensen
Collaboration Specialist
(385) 320-6274
lars.christensen@usda.gov

Front Office: 435-781-5118