Land Management Plan

A forest plan provides the framework to guide the ongoing land and resource management operations of a National Forest. Additional guidance is summarized in Appendices. The goal of the Plan is to provide a management program reflecting a mix of activities for the use and protection of the Forest. It fulfills legislative requirements while addressing local, regional, and national issues. To accomplish this, the Forest Plan:

establishes the management direction and associated long-range goals and objectives for the Forest;
specifies the standards, approximate timing, and vicinity of the practices necessary to implement that direction; and
establishes the monitoring and evaluation requirements needed to ensure that the direction is being carried out, and to determine if outputs and effects have been reasonably estimated.

The forest plan is a strategic document that provides guidance for but does not make project level decisions. Those decisions are made after more detailed, site-specific environmental analysis and further public comment. The National Forest Management Act requires that resource plans and permits, contracts, and other instruments issued for the use and occupancy of National Forest System lands be consistent with the forest plan. The following are some examples of project decisions that require more detailed environmental analysis:

Timber harvesting and related activities, such as slash disposal and road construction.
Range allotment management plans.
Fish or wildlife habitat improvement projects.
Watershed improvement projects.
Developed recreation sites or trail construction

Public involvement is a key part of implementing the forest plan. Monitoring and evaluation reports are available for public review.

The Six Rivers National Forest Plan is available online as a series of PDF downloads or a CD copy may be requested from the Forest Supervisor’s Office. You may download the PDF Reader software here »