Northwest Forest Plan Background

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Regional Ecosystem Office NWFP

Northwest Forest Plan - Overview and Background

In 1994, the comprehensive Northwest Forest Plan was initiated to end the impasse over management of federal forest land in the Pacific Northwest within the range of the northern spotted owl. It used an innovative approach based on ecosystem and watershed management. The Northwest Forest Plan transcended traditional administrative boundaries while addressing resource management, economic and social issues. Implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan has required cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among the participating federal agencies and with the states, tribes, and local governments. 

The Northwest Forest Plan is a landscape approach to federal land management designed to protect threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region. It is intended to provide a management approach that is scientifically credible, socially responsible, and legally sound. To support the Northwest Forest Plan, federal agencies maintain a Memorandum of Understanding and the Regional Interagency Executive Committee, which provides leadership for: 

• Cooperative planning, improved decision making, and coordinated implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan on federal lands.  
• Improved coordination and collaboration with state, tribal, and local governments for management approaches that support or complement the goals of the Northwest Forest Plan. 

For detailed background information please review Northwest Forest Plan Overview and related information, such as monitoring data and policy documents, on the Regional Ecosystem Office - Northwest Forest Plan website.

Northwest Forest Plan - Enduring Legacies and Progress

Created an Interagency Monitoring Program: The Northwest Forest Plan developed a robust monitoring program that tracks long-term data and produces regular reports regarding the effectiveness of the plan direction. As a model for other monitoring strategies worldwide, this program also tracks unforeseen challenges like atypical wildfires and climate changes. 

Halted the Loss of Older Forests & Habitats: Centuries-old conifers and other mature forests and old-growth habitat easily owe their continued existence to conservation measures provided in the Northwest Forest Plan. These rich forests provide habitat for endangered and sensitive species, store carbon, and provide clean air and water. 

Established an Aquatic Conservation Strategy: The Northwest Forest Plan has helped us conserve aquatic habitats that provide clean and cold water and help at-risk species across the region. The watersheds with high-quality salmon habitat covered by the plan have shown improvements in canopy cover, large tree densities, and forest stand condition. Decreased road density has also resulted in less instream sediment — reducing impacts on the often unseen, instream macroinvertebrate communities. 

Shifted Toward a Shared Ecosystem Approach: The Northwest Forest Plan created landscape-scale research and forest management practices to benefit people, plants and animals. This inclusive approach continues to gather and refine data, to share with the public and partners. This conservation of trees, aquatic systems, and species is interwoven with economic and cultural resilience for the communities within the Northwest Forest Plan area.