Planning

Forest planning documents guide all forest management actions. Plans are focused at a broad scale: regional, forest-wide, or landscape (watershed) level.

Administrative Changes to the Mt. Hood Land and Resource Management Plan

Under the 2012 Planning Rule, an administrative change (36 CFR 219.13(c)) is any change to the Forest Plan that is not a plan amendment or plan revision. “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” (§219.13).

Forest Plan Monitoring Program

Omnibus Bill Land Use Allocation Changes

Bull Run Land Use Allocation Changes

Mt. Hood Land and Resources Management Plan 

The Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) guides all natural resource management activities and establishes management standards and guidelines for the Forest. It describes resource management practices, levels of resource production and management, and the availability and suitability of lands for resource management. The Forest Plan includes goals, objectives and desired future conditions for each of the management areas on the Forest.

Northwest Forest Plan

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 an management approach that is scientifically credible, socially responsible, and legally sound.  It applies to 17 national forests in OR, WA, and northern CA. 

Wild and Scenic Rivers

The National Wild and Scenic River Act (PL 90-542) of 1968 requires the Forest Service to prepare a comprehensive management plan (CRMP) to provide for the protection of the river values.  Each river or river segment possess scenic, recreational, geological, fish, wildlife, historical, cultural, or ecological values which are judged to be outstandingly remarkable. The outstanding remarkable values (ORVs) direct ongoing management activities for the river corridor.  Learn more about the Wild & Scenic Rivers Comprehensive River Management Plan Process.

A CRMP is required for all congressionally-designated wild and scenic rivers. The CRMP must meet certain legal requirements specified in Forest Service regulations and Federal Law. A CRMP and subsequent river management must focus on protecting and enhancing the river’s free-flowing condition, water quality, and outstanding remarkable values (ORV).

Mt. Hood National Forest Wild & Scenic River CRMPs & Boundaries:

Mt. Hood Forest Plan Monitoring Reports

A part of implementing the Forest Plan involves a commitment to monitor and evaluate how well the Forest is doing. Based on review of information collected, adjustments in management actions or anticipated results can be identified. This process allows the Forest Plan to remain an active, usable document. As the Forest completes the second decade under the Forest Plan, the Forest is beginning to switch the focus from short-term implementation monitoring to monitoring long-term outcomes of management with respect to key social, economic and ecological systems.

Watershed Analyses

Watershed analysis is one of the principal analyses that are used to meet the ecosystem management objectives of the NW Forest Plan standards and guidelines. These serve as the basis for developing project-specific proposals, and determining monitoring and restoration needs for a watershed. The information from the watershed analyses will contribute to decision-making at all levels. This will be an ongoing, iterative process that will help define important resource and information needs.

Late Successional Reserve (LSR) Assessments

A management assessment should be prepared before habitat manipulation activities are designed and implemented. LSR Assessments should generally include: a history and inventory of overall vegetative conditions within the reserve; a list of identified late-successional associated species known to exist within the LSR; a history and description of current land uses within the reserve; a fire management plan; criteria for developing appropriate treatments; and, proposed monitoring and evaluation components.

Travel Analysis

The Travel Management Rule of 2005 required all national forests to analyze their roads and propose transportation systems that meet travel, administrative and resource protection needs within available budgets. The Travel Analysis Process helped the Mt. Hood National Forest gather the information necessary to make future decisions about road projects such as upgrades, closures, decommissioning, and road-to-trail conversions.

Alerts & Warnings

View All Forest Alerts