Forest Plan Amendments and Administrative Changes

The Forest Plan may be amended at any time (36 CFR §219.13). Plan amendments may be broad or narrow, depending on the need for change, and should be used to keep plans current and help adapt to new information or changing conditions. The responsible official has the discretion to determine whether and how to amend the plan and to determine the scope and scale of any amendment. Except in the case of an administrative change, a plan amendment is required to add, modify, or remove one or more plan components, or to change how or where one or more plan components apply to all or part of the plan area (including management areas or geographic areas). Plans are amended consistent with Forest Service National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures. The appropriate NEPA documentation for an amendment may be an environmental impact statement, an environmental assessment, or a categorical exclusion, depending upon the scope and scale of the amendment and its likely effects (36 CFR §220.4 et seq.).

Administrative changes include corrections of clerical errors to any part of the plan, conformance of the plan to new statutory or regulatory requirements, or changes to other content in the plan (36 CFR §219.7(f)). They are not plan amendments or revisions, and do not require the preparation of an environmental document under NEPA. Administrative changes include: corrections of clerical errors, changes to bring the Plan into conformance with new laws or regulatory requirements, and other changes to any aspect of the Plan except: desired conditions, goals, objectives, standards, guidelines, and suitable lands (Plan Components 36 CFR 219.7).

Administrative Changes

Administrative Changes Prior to 2012

Administrative Changes Since 2012

Admin changes since 2012 button that navigates to the following list with pdf links

Trail Level Guidance
Revised Monitoring Plan
Management Area Update - Success, NH
Wilderness Management Plan
Management Area Mapping Error
Management Area Update – Hudson Farm, Etna, NH

Amendments

Amendments Completed prior to 2012

Amendments Completed prior to 2012
Amendment	Date
McCrillis Path Relocation Project Project-specific Amended Management Area 5.1 Recreation by adding S-3: The McCrillis Path relocation is a known exception to constraints on changes along the Wilderness Management Zone scale and trail construction in Zone A.	12/23/2010

Amendments Completed Since 2012

Amendments Completed Since 2012
Amendment	Date
Waterville Valley Ski Resort Green Peak Expansion Project Project-specific Amended Forest-wide Rare and Unique Features, Canada Lynx, S-3: Unless a broad-scale assessment of landscape patterns that compares historical and current ecological processes and vegetation patterns is developed, disturbance must be limited in the following manner: If more than 30 percent of lynx habitat within a LAU is currently in unsuitable condition, no further reduction of suitable conditions shall occur because of vegetation management activities by federal agencies unless the activity is proposed specifically to improve future snowshoe hare habitat. The Green Peak Expansion Project at the Waterville Valley Ski Resort is an allowed exception to this standard.	06/21/2013
Administrative Radio Repeater Improvement Project Project-specific Amended Forest-wide Rare and Unique Features, Bicknell’s Thrush S-1: Projects must not result in a net decrease of suitable Bicknell's thrush habitat. The radio shelter site and associated helicopter landing site at Mount Cabot are the only allowed exceptions to this standard.	05/17/2015
Waterville Valley Resort High Country Lift Replacement Project Project-specific Exempted project from Forest-wide Rare and Unique Features, Bicknell’s Thrush S-1: Projects must not result in a net decrease of suitable Bicknell's thrush habitat to allow approximately 0.65 acres of tree clearing.	09/13/2017
Hudson Farm Prescribed Fire Project Project-specific Exempted project from Management Area 8.3, Wildland Fire S-2: Prescribed fire is prohibited to enable use of prescribed fire at Hudson Farm, Trescott Farm, and Bent Field to maintain open field habitat.	02/26/2020
Forest Plan Amendment: Whole Tree Removal from Developed Recreation and Forest Service Administrative Sites Project Programmatic Amended Forest-wide Vegetation Management: S-2 Whole tree removal is limited to soils with sufficient nutrient concentration and nutrient replenishment capacity to support the new or residual stand of vegetation, maintain soil productivity, and meet other resource objectives. Whole tree removal is permitted in all Developed Recreation and Forest Service Administrative Sites.	06/05/2020

Getting Involved

Opportunities for public participation and notification of plan amendments and administrative changes are provided in accordance with 36 CFR §219.4, §219.13 and §219.16.

If you’d like to receive information about changes to the White Mountain National Forest Plan or other Forest projects, please subscribe to our electronic mailing list.