Carson National Forest Plan Revision
This series of videos describes the complexities of the forest plan revision process and the connection of the plan to communities and partners in northern New Mexico.
Forest Plan Revision
The forest plan provides strategic direction to guide management of forest resources and is a framework for site-specific decision making. The Carson National Forest is currently in the process of revising its existing 1986 Forest Plan under the 2012 Planning Rule. Under the 2012 Planning Rule, plan revision involves three distinct phases: (1) assessment of the current conditions and trends of forest resources and multiple uses; (2) development of a revised plan; and (3) monitoring and implementation of the final approved plan.
The final Carson NF Land Management Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, and a draft Record of Decision are available for public review. The reviewing officers’ instructions in response to objections are complete.
Where are we now in the process?
The reviewing officers held an objection resolution meeting on March 15, 16, and 17, 2022 with objectors and interested persons. Based on their review of the objections, the Final Plan, and the project record they have provided instructions to the responsible officials including changes and clarifications that must be completed prior to approval of the final Record of Decision. The Carson National Forest is currently working to address those instructions and expects to release an updated Final Plan and Final Record of Decision later in summer 2022.
Forest Plan Revision Schedule
The Carson National Forest began revising its forest plan in 2014 using extensive public involvement and best available science under the new planning guidelines. We have coordinated closely with the Santa Fe and Cibola National Forests, which are also revising their respective plans. The following table outlines the planning phases, process and activities.
Process/Product |
Activity |
Proposed Date |
---|---|---|
(Completed) |
|
September 2015 |
Species of Conservation Concern (SCC) (In progress) |
|
Release date: May 2015 Approved Potential List March 2016 Updated 2019 Final List Summer 2022 |
(Completed) |
|
September 2015 |
Public Involvement and Comments on Assessment, SCCs, Forest Plan Need to Change (Completed) |
|
September 2015 |
(Completed) |
|
October 2015 |
Wilderness Inventory and Evaluation Process (Completed) |
|
Inventory March 2016 Evaluation September 2016 |
Public Involvement during Wilderness (In Progress) |
|
Fall 2017-2018 |
Eligible Wild and Scenic Rivers (In Progress) |
|
Process document April 2017 Evaluation v1 September 2017 Evaluation v2 January 2018 Evaluation v3 April 2019 Final evaluation Summer 2022 |
Preliminary Draft Proposed Plan (Completed) |
|
July 2017- Forest-wide Plan Components and (v1)
|
Public Involvement during Preliminary Draft Proposed Plan (Completed) |
|
Winter 2017- 2018 |
Draft Proposed Plan and Draft EIS (Completed) |
|
Summer 2019 |
Public Comments on Draft Plan and EIS (Completed) |
|
Fall 2019 |
Final Plan, EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) (In Progress) |
|
Final versions of the plan and EIS are available for review Final ROD Summer 2022 |
(In progress) |
|
The 60-day objection filing period is closed. Objections letters are posted. Reviewing officer instructions to the responsible official are posted. |
Final Decision |
|
Summer 2022 |
Implementation and Monitoring |
|
Summer 2022 |