Planning
Land Management Plan
Land Management Plans (LMP) set the overall management direction and guidance at a forest-wide scale. These plans guide the direction of specific projects or activities on the ground. Beginning in June 2020, the Rio Grande National Forest’s newest LMP will provide guidance for the implementation of management activities across the 1.8 million-acre Rio Grande National Forest for the next 10 to 15 years.
Land Management Plan Documents
Rio Grande National Forest 2020 Land Management Plan
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Volume 1
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Volume 2
EIS errata for EIS Volumes 1 and 2
Maps ( see next section)
For FEIS maps, visit the Project Record. (Look for "List of Maps" under the Analysis tab.)
Amendments / Administrative Changes
Amendments or administrative changes to the Land Management Plan are sometimes needed to address a change in condition, laws, clerical updates, or unforeseen circumstances.
Amendment and Administrative Changes Tracking Table
Amendments
There are currently no amendments to the LMP.
Administrative Changes
Assessment
Assessments, required by the 2012 planning rule, identify and evaluate existing information to support land management planning (36 CFR 291.19). They are not decision-making documents. Instead, they provide a snapshot in time of the information on select topics relevant to the plan area in the context of the broader landscape.
The Rio Grande combined the 15 assessment topics into nine separate reports. Each report includes an executive summary document that is organized to show 1) what was asked; 2) what we heard; and 3) where we’re headed. The detailed assessments were prepared by a variety of authors including Forest Service personnel, private contractors, educators and researchers.
- Assessments 1 & 3 - Ecosystem Integrity Drivers and Stressors
- Assessment 2 - Air, Soils and Water
- Assessment 4 - Carbon
- Assessment 5 - At -Risk Species Assessments Summary Report
- Assessments 6, 7 & 8 - Social Cultural and Economic Resources
- Assessment 9 - Recreation and Scenic Resources
- Assessment 10 - Minerals and Energy
- Assessments 11 & 14 - Lands and Infrastructure
- Assessments 12 & 13 - Historic and Cultural Resources
- Assessment 15 - Wilderness and Special Designated Areas
2020 LMP Monitoring
Monitoring is an important element of the Land Management Plan. Chapter 4 of the plan describes the monitoring and adaptive management program. An increased emphasis on Citizen Science monitoring will contribute to monitoring efforts.
Follow to the LMP Monitoring Implementation Plan
The annual Land Management Plan Monitoring Stakeholders meeting was last held on May 18, 2023.
Follow to the April 23, 2023 Biennial Monitoring Report Announcement Letter
Biennial Monitoring Evaluation Report for the Rio Grande National Forest
Monitoring Reports Associated with the 1996 Land Management Plan (1997-2013)
The 1996 Land Management Plan required annual monitoring reports. Visit the links below for the report that corresponds with the year.
Adaptive Management & Annual Stakeholder Meeting
To be more responsive to necessary changes in Land Management Plan content, proposed changes and rationale for those changes will be posted to this site annually. In conjunction with the release of proposed changes, a stakeholder meeting will be held to address implementation of the forest plan and the proposed changes. Any proposed changes will follow application direction and include a period for public comment. The Responsible Official will determine and apply the proper authorities to be used when changing forest plan content.
The 1996 Revised Forest Plan
Projects that began under the direction of the 1996 Revised Forest Plan will continue until their completion. This Plan was developed and implemented in 1996 and no longer applied to the Rio Grande NF due to a change in vegetation as a result of long-term beetle infestations and other defoliators that caused significant mortality in several tree species.