The U.S. Forest Service is announcing proposed land management planning directives. The service proposed the directives on Wednesday, Feb. 27. You can find them here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-02-27/html/2013-04470.htm and background at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/planningrule/home/?cid=stelprdb5403924.
The proposals would amend the Forest Service Handbook and Manual.
The Forest Service is taking public comments on the proposals until April 29.
A planning rule adopted last year gives the service broad discretion but requires procedures to be spelled out. Forest Service staff at all levels use the handbook and manual to carry out policies.
The Manual describes how to make policies.
The Handbook describes responsibilities and how to change the Manual.
The agency says it intends “to ensure an adaptive land management planning process that is inclusive, efficient, collaborative and science-based to promote healthy, resilient, diverse and productive national forests and grasslands.”
Chapters include assessment, land management planning, monitoring, key processes supporting land management planning, the objection process, forest vegetation resource planning, wilderness evaluation, wild and scenic river evaluation and references.
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