UT’s Ashley National Forest Publishes Notice to Begin Forest Plan Revision Process
UT’s Ashley National Forest Publishes Notice to Begin Forest Plan Revision Process
Federal Register to initiate the first phase of the Forest Plan revision process pursuant to the Forest Service’s 2012 Forest Planning Rule. The revised Forest Plan will describe the strategic intent of managing the Forest for the next 10 to 15 years and will address the identified needs for change to the existing Forest Plan, including recreation which may impact future OHV access. The Forest expects to complete the assessment in the spring of 2017. Following completion of the assessment, it will initiate procedures to prepare and evaluate a revised Forest Plan.
ARRA has had concerns that the 2012 Planning Rule clearly provides that preservation trumps social and economic factors, including recreation, contradicting the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act, the statute that authorizes many Forest activities. Under the Planning Rule, an assessment of ecological, social, and economic conditions and trends in the planning area is the first phase of a 3-phase planning process. The second phase includes preparation of a draft revised Forest Plan for public review and comment followed by a Final Forest Plan. The third stage of the process is monitoring and feedback, which is ongoing over the life of the revised Forest Plan.
While this Forest Plan revision will not specifically make decisions with respect to the management of individual roads or trails, such as those that might be associated with a Travel Management Plan, the ultimate Forest Plan revision will likely provide broad, strategic guidance.
Public Meetings/Comments
With this notice, the Ashley National Forest invites the public to contribute to assessment development. The intent of public participation during this phase is to identify as much relevant information as possible to inform the plan revision process. It is important for OHV enthusiasts to be involved in the land management planning process by contacting Forest officials and attending public meetings!
Public meetings to discuss development of the assessment will be held in August, November and December 2016. Dates, locations and agendas will be posted on the Forest Plan Revision Website.
Written correspondence can be emailed to AshleyForestPlan@fs.fed.us or can be mailed to: Ashley National Forest, Attn: Forest Plan, 355 N. Vernal Avenue, Vernal, UT 84078. (There is no specified due date for comments related to the assessment phase in the Federal Register notice.)
Additional Information
Forest Plan Revision Website
Federal Register Notice
For further information, please contact Kathy Paulin, Forest Plan Revision Team Leader, at 435-781-5118.
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Federal Register to initiate the first phase of the Forest Plan revision process pursuant to the Forest Service’s 2012 Forest Planning Rule. The revised Forest Plan will describe the strategic intent of managing the Forest for the next 10 to 15 years and will address the identified needs for change to the existing Forest Plan, including recreation which may impact future OHV access. The Forest expects to complete the assessment in the spring of 2017. Following completion of the assessment, it will initiate procedures to prepare and evaluate a revised Forest Plan.
ARRA has had concerns that the 2012 Planning Rule clearly provides that preservation trumps social and economic factors, including recreation, contradicting the Multiple Use-Sustained Yield Act, the statute that authorizes many Forest activities. Under the Planning Rule, an assessment of ecological, social, and economic conditions and trends in the planning area is the first phase of a 3-phase planning process. The second phase includes preparation of a draft revised Forest Plan for public review and comment followed by a Final Forest Plan. The third stage of the process is monitoring and feedback, which is ongoing over the life of the revised Forest Plan.
While this Forest Plan revision will not specifically make decisions with respect to the management of individual roads or trails, such as those that might be associated with a Travel Management Plan, the ultimate Forest Plan revision will likely provide broad, strategic guidance.
Public Meetings/Comments
With this notice, the Ashley National Forest invites the public to contribute to assessment development. The intent of public participation during this phase is to identify as much relevant information as possible to inform the plan revision process. It is important for OHV enthusiasts to be involved in the land management planning process by contacting Forest officials and attending public meetings!
Public meetings to discuss development of the assessment will be held in August, November and December 2016. Dates, locations and agendas will be posted on the Forest Plan Revision Website.
Written correspondence can be emailed to AshleyForestPlan@fs.fed.us or can be mailed to: Ashley National Forest, Attn: Forest Plan, 355 N. Vernal Avenue, Vernal, UT 84078. (There is no specified due date for comments related to the assessment phase in the Federal Register notice.)
Additional Information
Forest Plan Revision Website
Federal Register Notice
For further information, please contact Kathy Paulin, Forest Plan Revision Team Leader, at 435-781-5118.
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