Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) - Northwest Forest Plan

The Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) is a landscape approach to federal land management designed to protect threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region. It is intended to provide an management approach that is scientifically credible, socially responsible, and legally sound.

To support this Plan, federal agencies maintain a Memorandum of Understanding and the Regional Interagency Executive Committee, which provides leadership for:

• Cooperative planning, improved decision making, and coordinated implementation of the NWFP on federal lands, and;
• Improved coordination and collaboration with state, tribal, and local governments for management approaches that support or complement the goals of the NWFP.

Area Covered

The NWFP covers 24.5 million acres of federally-managed lands in western Oregon, Washington, and northwestern California (green area on the accompanying graphic). The table below summarizes the areas of the included lands managed by the participating federal agencies.

Federal Agency Management Units	Acres	Percentage
17 National Forests	19,400,000	79
7 BLM Districts	2,700,000	11
6 National Parks	2,200,000	9
National Wildlife Refuges & Department of Defense Lands	165,000	<1%

Key Components

The Plan includes a number of land use categories and an aquatic conservation strategy, each with associated standards and guidelines for management activites. Additionally, a survey and manage program provides safeguards for lesser known species. The monitoring program compiles information on the status and trends in key resources to assess the success of Plan.