Planning

Under the 2012 planning rule, the Forest is required to compile a Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) list. It is comprised of native species whose long-term future on the forest is considered at risk but are not currently protected under the Endangered Species Act. For more information visit the SCC page.

The publication of the NOI in the Federal Register to revise the land management plan posted on April 6, 2017. It initiated a 45-day formal scoping period highlighting the Needs to Change, which outline specific parts of the 1985 Forest Plan to be updated or supplemented in the revised plan. For more information visit the NOI and NTC.

As part of the forest plan we will be identifying eligible Wild & Scenic River segments, providing the basis for making the eligibility determination, documenting information supporting why or why not a segment was determined eligible, and identifying the proposed classification and location of the eligible segments. For more information visit Wild & Scenic Rivers Eligibility Process.

As part of forest plan forests are required to identify lands that may or may not be suitable for the National Wilderness Preservation System. The process of identifying suitable areas occurs in four primary steps: Inventory, Evaluation, Analysis, and Recommendation. For more information visit Wilderness Recommendation Process.

Formal comments on the Preliminary Proposed Plan (PPP) were received between November 6, 2017 – January 12, 2018. This was accompanied by a round of public and partner meetings. For more information visit PPP.

Development of a draft forest plan and a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) that analyzes the described affected environment and the environmental effects of each of the plan alternatives. The draft forest plan and DEIS was released on December 13, 2019, initiated a 90-day comment period. Comments are being used to prepare a final forest plan and final environmental impact statement (FEIS).

Comments on the draft land management plan (forest plan) and DEIS are analyzed and reviewed in the development of a final forest plan and FEIS. The FEIS outlines any needed changes between the draft and final EIS.

The draft record of decision (ROD), Final Forest Plan, and FEIS were made available with the publication of the notice of opportunity to object (NOO) in the Federal Register on March 25, 2022. 

Prior to approving the preferred alternative, the public raises issues related to final revised land management plan (LMP), draft record of decision (ROD), and final environmental impact statement (FEIS) and suggests ways to improve the decision. 

The legal notice of opportunity to object (NOO) for the final LMP, draft ROD, and FEIS was published in the Arizona Capitol Times on July 8, 2022, reinitiating a 60-day objection period for this project, in compliance with 36 CFR 219. A federal register notice was also published on the same day.

Objections are posted in CARA. The Regional Forester has reviewed objections following the end of the objection-filing period and has rendered written responses. This concluded the objection process. Final instructions were given to the forest as a result of the objection process and administrative review. These final instructions included changes the forest must make to the final plan or supporting documents before the Forest Supervisor may sign the Record of Decision and implement the new plan.

 Based on objection review and response, the final record of decision was made by the Tonto National Forest Supervisor. All final documents can be found on the plan project page.

Forest Service implements the revised land management plan and begins ongoing monitoring.