NFAB Application Materials

National Forest Advisory Board Call for Nominations

The Black Hills National Forest is seeking nominations for positions on the Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (NFAB) which was established in 2003 for the purpose of providing advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues.

DATES: Instructions for submitting a nomination package may be found in the section below entitled, “Advisory Committee Organization.”

ADDRESSES: Send nominations and applications to Scott Jacobson, NFAB Coordinator, Black Hills National Forest, 8221 Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD 57702. For further information, contact Scott Jacobson via email: scott.j.jacobson@usda.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board is a non-scientific program advisory Board established by the Secretary of Agriculture in 2003 to provide advice and counsel to the U. S. Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest, in the wake of increasingly severe and intense wild fires and mountain pine beetle epidemics.

The purpose of the Board is to provide advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, and site-specific projects having forest-wide implications. The Board also serves to meet the needs of the Recreation Enhancement Act of 2005 as a recreation resource advisory board (RRAC) for the Black Hills of South Dakota. The Board provides timely advice and recommendations to the regional forester through the forest supervisor regarding programmatic forest issues and project-level issues that have forest-wide implications for the Black Hills National Forest.

The Board meets approximately ten times a year, with one month being a field trip, held in August and focusing on both current issues and the educational value of seeing management strategies and outcomes on the ground. This Board has been established as a truly credible entity and a trusted voice on forest management issues and is doing often astonishing work in helping to develop informed consent for forest management.

For years, the demands made on the Black Hills National Forest have resulted in conflicts among interest groups resulting in both forest-wide and site-specific programs being delayed due to appeals and litigation. The Board provides a forum to resolve these issues to allow for the Black Hills National Forest to move forward in its management activities. The Board is believed to be one of the few groups with broad enough scope to address all of the issues and include all of the jurisdictional boundaries.

The Board has been determined to be in the public interest in connection with the duties and responsibilities of the Black Hills National Forest. National forest management requires improved coordination among the interests and governmental entities responsible for land management decisions and the public that the agency serves.

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
The Board consists of 16 members, that are representative of the following interests (this membership is similar to the membership outlined by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act for Resource Advisory Committees (16 U.S.C. 500, et seq.):  1. Economic development; 2. Developed outdoor recreation, off-highway vehicle users, or commercial recreation; 3. Energy and mineral development; 4. Commercial timber industry; 5. Permittee (grazing or other land use within the Black Hills area); 6. Nationally recognized environmental organizations; 7. Regionally or locally recognized environmental organizations; 8. Dispersed recreation; 9. Archeology or history; 10. Nationally or regionally recognized sportsmen's groups, such as anglers or hunters; 11. South Dakota State-elected offices; 12. Wyoming State-elected offices; 13. South Dakota or Wyoming county-or local-elected officials; 14. Tribal government elected or- appointed officials; 15. State of South Dakota natural resource agency official; and 16. State of Wyoming natural resource agency official.

No individual who is currently registered as a Federal lobbyist is eligible to serve as a member of the Board.

The appointment of members to the Board will be made by the Secretary of Agriculture. Any individual or organization may nominate one or more qualified persons to serve on the Board. Individuals may also nominate themselves. To be considered for membership, nominees must submit the following: 1. Resume describing qualifications for membership to the Committee; 2. Cover letter with rationale for serving on the Board, what you can contribute, and what interest(s) you would represent; and 3. Completed form AD-755, Advisory Committee Membership Background Information.

The AD-755 can be downloaded here. All nominations will be vetted by USDA. The Secretary of Agriculture will appoint committee members to the Board from the list of qualified applicants.

Letters of recommendations are welcome.

The members of the Board will elect and determine the responsibilities of the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson. In absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson will act in the Chairperson’s stead. The Forest Supervisor of the Black Hills National Forest serves as the Designated Federal Official under sections 10(e) and (f) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. II).

Members will serve without compensation, but may be reimbursed for travel expenses while performing duties on behalf of the Board, subject to approval by the DFO.

Equal opportunity practices are followed in all appointments to the Board in accordance with USDA policies. To ensure that the recommendations of the Board have been taking into account the needs of diverse groups served by the Black Hills National Forest, membership shall include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.