The National Forest Management Act (NFMA), an amendment of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (RPA), establishes standards for how the Forest Service manages the national forests, requires the development of land management plans for national forests and grasslands, and directs the Forest Service to develop regular reports on the status and trends of the Nation’s renewable resources on all forest and rangelands. The following timeline provides several key events in the implementation of NFMA since it became law in 1976.
Timeline of Notable Events Related to Applying NFMA
1982 - Revised NFMA planning regulations developed (containing procedures under which all plans have been completed)
1983 – First Forest Plans completed under NFMA
1989 - Forest Service initiates comprehensive review of its land management planning process to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement
1995 – Last initial Forest Plan completed – all units (that existed in 1976) now covered with a Plan
1997 - Secretary of Agriculture convenes 13-member Committee of Scientists to recommend ways the Forest Service could better manage national forests and national grasslands
2000 - Forest Service publishes the 2000 Planning Rule in Federal Register
2000-2001 - In response to the lawsuits and negative feedback, The Department of Agriculture initiated a review of the 2000 Planning Rule focused on implementation. Review found rule to be seriously flawed.
2002 – Forest Service, concerned about the cost of implementing the 2000 Planning Rule, proposes revising planning regulations and publishes the 2002 Proposed Planning Rule in Federal Register
2003 – Forest Service holds workshop to address options for fulfilling NFMA language about providing for diversity of plants and animals (Diversity Options Workshop)
2004 – Forest Service published Interpretive Rule in Federal Register to clarify that while a new rule is being developed, 1982 rule procedures can still be used for the revision and amendment of forest plans
2005 – Forest Service publishes the 2005 Planning Rule in Federal Register
2008 – Forest Service issues the 2008 Planning Rule and an Environmental Impact Statement analyzing the environmental impacts of the rule
2009 – US District Court for the District of Northern California overturns the 2008 NFMA Planning Rule (Decision) As an interim measure, Forest Service returns to the transition provisions of the 2000 rule which allow continued use of 1982 rule procedures for revisions and amendments
2009 – Secretary of Agriculture announces effort to revise Forest Service Planning Rule
2009 – Status of Forest Plans nationally: 54 Plans have been revised, 37 Plan revisions under way, 33 Plan revisions not started, 2 new units with plans still current
2009 – Forest Service issues a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for a new planning rule, starting a new planning rule revision effort. As an interim measure, the Department republishes the 2000 rule as amended in the Federal Register in order to make it available to the public in the Code of Federal Regulations
2011 - Forest service releases a proposed planning rule and draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for public comment on February 10, 2011. Comments accepted through May 16, 2011.
