Planning
Planning for conservation means objectives as diverse as prescribed burns (setting fires to habitats at certain stages in their life cycle to ensure the understory is clear for animals and new growth), removal of non-native species, inventory and monitoring of threatened and endangered species, and more.
Planning for recreation means determining the amount of visitors a certain area can handle while taking conservation goals into account, developing and taking care of amenities for visitors, and ensuring that visitors have a pleasant experience on their natural lands.
Keeping these goals in mind, the National Forests in Florida develops a Forest Plan every 10-15 years, used as a framework for decision-making. Projects in the National Forests undergo public review and must adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, before they are approved.
Features
Land and Resource Management Plan (1999)
The Forest Plan provides guidance for the overall management of the National Forests in Florida. The Forest Plan is a framework for decision-making, not a list of specific projects.
Forest Plan Amendments
Forest plans are designed to be modified when needed. Changes may be identified from a variety of sources such as annual monitoring and evaluation, changed environmental conditions, or social issues. This section contains all amendments approved since the last full revision of the plan in 1999.
Spotlights
Annual Monitoring and Evaluation Reports
Monitoring, evaluation and research are the quality control mechanisms for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the National Forests in Florida.
Schedule of Proposed Actions (SOPA)
The Schedule of Proposed Actions is a list of proposals the Forest Service is currently considering and is updated quarterly during the fiscal year (October 01 - September 30).