Land & Resources Management
This section includes information about forest planning, current projects and forest resource management and programs.
Decisions for managing your national forests occur at two levels - the Forest Plan level and the Project level. Both levels of planning provide opportunities for input from citizens and local communities.
Forest Plans establish desired conditions, land use allocations, suitable management practices, objectives, standards, and monitoring and evaluation requirements at a broadscale, strategic level for the next 10 to 15 years. Plans are monitored and evaluated so future management can be adapted when we are not getting the results we thought we would or new scientific information becomes available.
Although administratively combined with one Supervisor's Office in Roanoke, Virginia, the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests have individual Forest Plans. The Jefferson NF Forest Plan was revised in 2004. The George Washington NF Forest Plan was revised in 2014. Documents available under the Planning section include:
- Jefferson National Forest: 2004 Revised Jefferson NF Forest Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Record of Decision and associated key documents and maps
- George Washington National Forest: 2014 Revised George Washington NF Forest Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement, Record of Decision and associated key documents and map.
- Monitoring Reports
Decisions made at the project level for implementing the Forest Plan require a site-specific environmental analysis and include public collaboration through the NEPA process. This section contains a list of the projects that the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests are planning, evaluating or actively implementing. Documents available for public comment, as well as administrative review, are posted in this section. Final decisions on projects can also be found here.
If you are interested in receiving notice of opportunities to submit comments on projects during the designated comment periods, you may contact the ranger district office of interest and request to be added to their 'NEPA Mailing List.'
The Forest Service manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife. Learn more about how these resources are managed.
Geospatial data are georeferenced, or spatially explicit, digital files that can be used in a GIS (Geographic Information System). Find more information about GIS (Geographic Information System) data here.
TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Thank you to all who contributed to the forest-wide road study also known as the Travel Analysis Process. The Forest Service has released all the Travel Analysis Reports that analyze the existing National Forest road system and identifies opportunities to achieve a more ecologically and economically sustainable road system for each National Forest and Grassland.
These reports are part of a nationwide requirement and are not decision documents—instead, they provide an analysis of the road system as it exists today. All future proposed actions and decisions will allow for further opportunities for public input and engagement at the project-level under National Environmental Policy Act processes.
|