Draft Record of Decision and Revised Forest Plan
Updated September 30, 2024
Jump to: Record of Decision | Revised Forest Plan | Maps and GIS Layers | Back to Forest Plan Revision Home
Following years of robust public participation in the Forest Planning Process, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), Draft Record of Decision, and Land Management Plan documents are available to review. The 60-day objection filing period has CLOSED and the objection process concluded with the transmission of the Objection Reviewing Officer's response on 9/30/2024. A decision is expected in early 2025.
We appreciate the level of care and commitment people have for the management of the land and resources on the Nez Perce - Clearwater National Forests.
Objection Process for the revised Land Management Plan
The 60-day objection filing period for the revised Land Management Plan, final environmental impact statement, draft record of decision, and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests CLOSED on January 29th, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST. Eligible objections can now be viewed in the public reading room.
What is next? The time period for filing an Interested Persons request concluded on February 20, 2024. An objections resolution meeting for eligible objectors and interested persons was held virtually on May 6th-May 8th. The Objections Reviewing Officers signed the official objection response in late September. This concludes the objection process for the revised Land Management Plan on the Nez Perce-Clearwater. The Forests will begin responding to the Objection Reviewing Officer's response and instructions and will begin preparing a final Record of Decision, anticipated Winter 2025.
The revised Nez Perce-Clearwater (NPC) National Forests Land Management Plan, Objection Reviewing Officer Leanne Marten, Regional Forester; and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the NPC National Forests, Objection Reviewing Officer Jacqueline Emanual, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
On November 28, 2023 , the U.S. Forest Service published the legal notice starting the 60-day opportunity to object to the revised Land Management Plan and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the NPC National Forests in the Lewiston Tribune (paper of record) and the revised Land Management Plan, final Environmental Impact Statement, and draft Record of Decision were made available for review on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5447338.
The objection filing period ended January 29, 2024. The Forest Service has received objections from approximately 275 individuals or organizations to date. The objections are available for review in the Public Comment / Objection Reading Room at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44089.
The regulations at 36 CFR § 219.57 and Forest Service policy outlined in the Land Management Planning Handbook (FSH 1909.12, Section 51.65) allow those individuals and entities who have previously submitted substantive formal comments and who request and are granted recognition as interested persons to participate in resolution meetings between the objectors and the Forest Service. This is to ensure that efforts to resolve objections are conducted in an open and collaborative forum.
To become an interested person: Publication of this notice in the Lewiston Tribune initiates a 10-day period in which individuals or organizations who have provided substantive formal comment on the plan in the past and have a particular interest in the resolution of an objection can file a request to be an interested person. The request must be submitted within 10 days of the legal notice publishing. It must include: 1) name and affiliation (if any); 2) mailing address, phone number, and email address (if available); 3) the name(s) of the objectors(s) whose objection(s) the requester has an interest in and a brief explanation of the requester’s interest in the objection(s) and any specific concern(s), including a description of support or opposition to the objection(s); and 4) identification of substantive formal comment provided by the requester during the planning process demonstrating the requester’s past participation in the planning process (36 CFR 219.57(f)).
Electronic requests submitted using the form at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=44089 are preferred. Written requests may be submitted via USPS, FedEx, UPS, or other courier to: Leanne Marten, Objection Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Attn: NPC National Forests Plan Revision Interested Person Request, 26 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804. Contact Sara Daugherty, Forest Planner, at sm.fs.fpr_npclw@usda.gov or 208-963-4206 to obtain instructions for faxing an interested person request.
Resolution meeting: Interested persons requests will be considered by the Reviewing Officer and eligible interested persons will be notified in advance of any objection resolution meetings. For questions related to interested person requests, contact Beth Wadsworth, Objection Coordinator, at elizabeth.wadsworth@usda.gov or 541-645-3689.
We anticipate holding a resolution meeting(s) virtually and it will be open to observation by the public. Members of the public who would like to attend, but are not objectors or interested persons, can contact Beth Wadsworth, contact listed above, for information about the resolution meeting(s) including date(s), location(s), and agenda(s).
- Objection Reviewing Officer's Objection Response for all objections other than Species of Conservation Concern objections (posted 9/30/2024)
- Objection Reviewing Officer's Objection Response for Species of Conservation Concern objections (posted 9/30/2024)
- Public Reading Room
- Information on the 219 Objection Process
- Species of Conservation Concern Northern Region Homepage
To see the Planning Record used in creation of this Forest Plan, click here
Draft Record of Decision
To read the Draft Record of Decision, download it here
Revised Forest Plan
- Forest Plan
Final Environmental Impact Statement
- Final Environmental Impact Statement
- Appendices
- Appendix A - Maps
- Location Map
- Ecoregions III
- Ecoregions IV
- Fisher Habitat Olson
- Fisher Habitat Sauder
- Grizzly Bear Bitterroot Recovery Zone
- Grizzly Bear Recovery Zones
- Lynx
- MA_Lynx Overlap
- Range Allotment Lynx Overlap
- White Headed Woodpecker
- Admin Use Roads
- SS Chinook Distribution
- Steelhead Distribution
- Steelhead Critical Habitat
- Bull Trout Distribution
- Bull Trout Critical Habitat
- Fire Regimes
- Fire History
- Wildland Urban Interface
- Habitat Types
- Idaho Roadless
- Lynx Habitat
- Summer ROS_ Roadless By Alternative
- Timber Suitability By Alternative Part 1
- Timber Suitability By Alternative Part 2
- Winter ROS Roadless by Alternative
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Analyzed
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Overview
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Specific Part 1
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Specific Part 2
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Specific Part 3
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Specific Part 4
- Wild and Scenic Rivers Eligible Suitable by Alternative
- Wilderness Evaluation
- Scenic Attractiveness
- SIO by Alt
- Land Allocations by ALT
- Appendix B - Vegetation and Timber
- Appendix C - Wildlife Species and Habitat Summary
- Appendix D - Forest Carbon Assessment
- Appendix E - Recommended Wilderness Process
- Appendix F - Wild and Scenic Rivers Suitability Report
- Appendix G - Climate Change Adaption Strategies
- Appendix H -Comparison of Direction By AlternativeP
- Appendix I - Lolo Trail National Historic Landmark Administrative Context and Management Recommendations
- Appendix J - Scenery Management System Mapping Process
- Appendix K - Water and Fisheries
- Appendix L - Air Quality
- Appendix M -Response to Comments
- Appendix A - Maps
- Biological Assessment
- Sept 4 2024 Supplement to the Biological Assessment
- Biological Opinion- National Marine Fisheries Service
- Biological Opinion- US Fish and Wildlife Service (anticipated December 2024)
Maps and GIS Layers
Feature Class | Map (.pdf) | Layer (gdb, .zip) | Layer (.kml) |
---|---|---|---|
Broad Habitat Type Groups | Map | Layer | |
Lynx Habitat | Map | Layer | |
Conservation Watershed Network | Map | Layer | |
Fire History | Map | Layer | Layer |
Fire Regimes | Map | Layer | |
Geographic Areas | Map | Layer | Layer |
Idaho Roadless Areas | Map | Layer (via EDW) | |
Management Areas, Recommended Wilderness, and Suitable Wild and Scenic Rivers | Map | ||
Grazing Allotments | Map | Layer (via EDW) | |
Scenic Integrity Objectives | Map | Layer | Layer |
Summer Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) | Map | Layer | Layer |
Timber Suitability | Map | Layer | |
Winter Recreation Opportunity Spectrum (ROS) | Map | Layer |