Planning

The land management plan, also known as a forest or grassland plan, is the principal document that guides the decision making of Forest Service managers. These plans provide long-range management direction for the resources and uses within a national forest or grassland under an adaptive management framework. This includes assessing landscape conditions, developing, and implementing a land management plan, and ongoing monitoring.

Land management plans (plans) are required by the National Forest Management Act for each national forest or grassland and should be updated every 10 to 15 years. Plans identify desired conditions, objectives, standards, and guidelines for management, protection, and use of the forest or grassland.

The planning regulations, sometimes called the 2012 Planning Rule, interpret the National Forest management Act and guide the amendment and revision of all land management plans. The regulations describe the required process steps and plan content to maintain or restore Forest Service land and water ecosystems while providing for multiple uses. These regulations can be found in the Code of Federal Regulations 36 CFR 219. Information about how they were developed can be found in the Planning Rule Archives.