Forest Service Policy Office
The national Policy Office provides analyses, decision-making support for agency leadership, and project management expertise to advance policies. The goal is to support the overall agency mission, to care for the land and serve people.
What We do
The Forest Service Policy Office develops and publishes regulations and directives that govern national forests and grasslands.
Forest Service Regulations
The three primary policy tools of the Forest Service are the laws, regulations, and directives that guide the management and use of national forests and grasslands.
Once Congress passes laws, Federal agencies must develop regulations to implement those laws. Developing regulations or, the rulemaking process, requires the agency to publish proposed regulations in the Federal Register, so that the public and tribes can read and comment on the proposed policy. The agency is responsible for addressing all comments received and then publishing a final rule.
The final rule may reflect changes from the proposed rule to address comments or concerns from the public. The final regulations are contained in the Code of Federal Regulations, which includes all regulations issued by the Federal government.
Forest Service Directives
The Forest Service Directives are a series of manuals and handbooks used by the Forest Service that guide how we manage national forests and grasslands. Forest Service directives are also important resources for tribes, other federal agencies, state and local governments, and the public to understand how the Forest Service works. Directives contain legal authorities, objectives, policies, responsibilities and specialized guidance.
Comment on Forest Service Regulations and Directives
To view and submit comments on regulations available for public comment please visit www.regulations.gov. You can find Forest Service regulations available for comment by searching the agency name on the Dockets tab at the top of the page.
You can also view and submit comments to proposed and interim Forest Service directives supplemental information by accessing the Forest Service Regulations and Directives website.
Economic Dashboard
The Policy Office considers the connections between people and national forests and grasslands in policy-making and other actions. For example, the Economic Contributions Dashboard produced by the Policy Office provides information on how national forests and grasslands support local economies through recreation opportunities, forest products, energy, minerals, and livestock grazing. The dashboard also displays economic contributions from payments to local governments and agency investments, including investments in construction and infrastructure maintenance, environmental restoration, and forest health.
View this dashboard to learn more about how national forests and grasslands support local economies. For more information on how the Policy Office considers connections between people and national forests and grasslands visit Economic, Social and Ecosystem Services Analysis.