Forest Plan
Effective beginning 06/04/2025: This website, and all linked websites under the control of the agency is under review and content may change.
The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests published a Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register on September 25, 2015. The plan went into effect 30 days after the publication of the NOA on October 25, 2015. The 90-day appeal period began after the publication of the legal notice in the Forests' newspaper of record, the White Mountain Independent, on September 25, 2015. The appeal period ran through December 24, 2015.
Forest Plan, FEIS & Appeals Documents
On July 13, 2016, the Aapche-Sitgreaves National Forests received a decision on the appeals of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) of their revised Forest Plan.
Appeals must be consistent with the Optional Appeals Procedures.
Apache County (458kb)
Center for Biological Diversity (281kb)
Mary Vander Ploeg (1,095kb)
- Mary Vander Ploeg Att1 (131kb)
- Mary Vander Ploeg Att2 (187kb)
The Arizona Game and Fish Department (1,593kb)
- AGDF 2015 Letter to Calvin Joyner regarding AIS listings (64kb)
- AGFD 2010 A-S LRMP Letter (968kb)
- AGFD-USFWS 2011 BAofAGFD Statewide_Urban FishStocking Pgm2011-2021 (116,168kb)
- AGFD 2012 Arizona State Wildlife Action Plan 2012-2022 (4,793kb)
- AGFD 2013 Com ASNF Proposed LMP_Programmatic DEIS dtd 5-15-2013 (5,150kb)
- AGFD 2015 2013 Angler user days, fishing economics and angler demographics (3,746kb)
- AGFD 2015 Dec 23 A-S LMP and EIS Appeal Letter (1,594kb)
- AGFD 2015 Estimated Fishing Revenues (27kb)
- AGFD-USFS 2010 Master Memorandum of Understanding (486kb)
- ARS 17-255 AIS Interdiction Act 2009 (365kb)
- AZGFD 2015 License Sales Historical Summary (521kb)
- Fedler 2013 Economic impact of fishing in Arizona (5,668kb)
- OriginalNamesASGFATTACH (51kb)
- Region 3 - Invasive Species List Website (137kb)
- ResponsiveMgmt2014AZangler's opinions attitudes_expenditures (716kb)
- SFR Apportionments and Sales thru Fed FY14 (62kb)
- USFS 2012 Review and assessinvasive species mgmtin theSWRegion (688kb)
- USFS 2013 National Strategic Framework for Invasive Species Management (5,067kb)
- USFS 2014 Guidance for invasive species management in the Southwestern Region (1.996kb)
- USFS 2015 Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (7,853kb)
- USFS 2015-08-12-WildernessRecommMemoChief (176kb)
- USFWS 201 NEPAFONSIproviding grant fundsAGFDSport Fish Stocking Program (7,026kb)
- USFWS 2011BCOforWSFRfundingofAGFD Stocking Program 2011-2021 (2,644kb)
- USFWS 2011FEAAGFDSport Fish Stocking Program (8,522kb)
International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (146kb)
- Exhibit 1-c (968kb)
- Exhibit 2-c (519kb)
- Exhibit 3-c (749kb)
- Exhibit 4-c (184kb)
- Exhibit 5-c (277kb)
- Exhibit 6-c (279kb)
- Exhibit 7-c (1.07MB)
- Exhibit 8-c (297kb)
- Exhibit 9-c (64.8kb)
- Exhibit 10-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 11-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 12-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 13A-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 13B-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14A-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14B-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14C-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14D-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14E-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14F-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14G-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 14H-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 15-c (519kb)
- Exhibit 16-c (749kb)
- Exhibit 17-c (184kb)
- Exhibit 18-c (277kb)
- Exhibit 19-c (279kb)
- Exhibit 20-c (1.07MB)
- Exhibit 21-c (297kb)
- Exhibit 22-c (64.8kb)
- Exhibit 23-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 24-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 25-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 26-c (3.10MB)
- Exhibit 27-c (3.10MB)
Final Plan (5.79 Mb)
- Table of Contents, Chapter 1. Background (1.09MB)
- Chapter 2. Forestwide Direction (1.38MB)
- Chapter 3. Management Area Direction (749kb)
- Chapter 4. Suitability (184kb)
- Chapter 5. Monitoring Strategy, List of Preparers, Glossary, Refernces (277kb)
- Appendix A. Climate Change Trends and Apache-Sitgreaves NFs Land Management Planning (279kb)
- Appendices B-C. Vegetation Conditions and Management Practices, Communications Sites (1.07MB)
- Appendix D. Relevant Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Other Sources of Information (297kb)
- Appendix E. Proposed and Possible Management Actions (64.8kb)
- Appendix F. Maps (3.10MB)
- Index (50.4kb)
Administrative Change 1
Administrative Change 2
On August 15, 2016, Forest Supervisor Steve Best signed a letter approving Administrative Change #2 to the revised Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. This Administrative Change corrected some factual and clerical errors in the plan and addressed the concerns of the two Appellants who met with Regional Forester Calvin Joyner during the Appeal Resolution Period.
Administrative Change 3
On October 6, 2016, Forest Supervisor Steve Best signed a letter approving Administrative Change #3 to the revised Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. This Administrative Change corrected a factual error in the plan and added a reference to a document which has been added to the Planning Record in compliance with instructions from Brian Ferebee, Reviewing Officer for the Chief, in a decision letter to Regional Forester Calvin Joyner dated July 13, 2016.
Administrative Change 4
On October 31, 2017, Forest Supervisor Steve Best signed a letter approving Administrative Change #4 to the revised Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. This administrative change brings transportation-related definitions in Chapter 4 into conformity with those in the 2005 Travel Management Rule, 36 CFR §212.
- Final EIS Vol 1 (8.66 Mb)
- Final EIS Vol 2 (2.97 Mb)
- Final EIS Vol 3 (56.5 Mb)
- Table of Contents and Chapter 1. Purpose and Need for Change (755kb)
- Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action (935kb)
- Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences (8.03MB)
- Chapter 4. Consultation and Coordination (240kb)
- Glossary, References, Index (429kb)
- Appendix A. Public Comments and Responses (1.50MB)
- Appendices B-G.Description of the Analysis Process, Coordination with Other Public Planning Efforts, Management Area Descriptions, Other Supporting Documentation, Collaboration and Public Involvement, Plan Decisions and Species Viability (1.01MB)
- Appendix H. Comments from Tribes, Elected Officials, and Government Agencies (40.5MB)
- Appendix I. Crosswalk between Apache-Sitgreaves 1987 Forest Plan (as amended) and the Revised Forest Plan (1.56MB)
- Appendix J. Maps (6.70MB)
- Errata to FEIS
Biological Opinion (2.23 MB)
- Air Quality (955 kb)
- American Indian Rights and Interests (601 kb)
- Cultural Resources (1.16 MB)
- Fire (1.77 MB)
- Fisheries (3.55 MB)
- Forest Health (2.19 MB)
- Forest Health Appendices (168 kb)
- Forest Products (2.11 MB)
- Invasive Species (898 kb)
- Lands (2.12 MB)
- Minerals and Energy (829 kb)
- Range (695 kb)
- Recreation (1.11 MB)
- Riparian (829 kb)
- Research Natural Areas (2.72 MB)
- Scenery (794 kb)
- Socioeconomic Resources (801 kb)
- Soils (896 kb)
- Vegetation (13.2 MB)
- Water (1.23 MB)
- Watershed (1.47 MB)
- Wilderness (1.72 MB)
- Wildlife: Migratory Birds, Eagles, and Important Bird Areas (891 kb)
- Wildlife: Biological Evaluation for Sensitive Species (1.23 MB)
- Wildlife: Final Biological Assessment (3.88 MB)
- Wildlife: Viability (2.01 MB)
- Wild and Scenic Rivers (847 kb)
- Existing Vegetation Canopy Cover Map – Apache NF (9.02 Mb)
- Existing Vegetation Canopy Cover Map – Sitgreaves NF (7.58 Mb)
- Existing Vegetation Size Class – Apache NF (9.50 Mb)
- Existing Vegetation Size Class – Sitgreaves NF (8.13 Mb)
- Potential Natural Vegetation Types – Apache NF (3.58 Mb)
- Potential Natural Vegetation Types – Sitgreaves NF (3.79 Mb)
- 001 - Leonard Canyon (321kb)
- 003 - West Chevelon Canyon (329kb)
- 005 - Chevelon Canyon (336kb)
- 006 - Wildcat Canyon South (327kb)
- 011 - Black Canyon (286kb)
- 012 - Heber North (162kb)
- 021 - Mount Baldy Wilderness Addition North (277kb)
- 022 - Mount Baldy Wilderness Addition South (279kb)
- 029 - Escudilla Wilderness Addition Northeast (253kb)
- 035 - Escudilla Wilderness Addition Southeast (266kb)
- 040 - Mother Hubbard (294kb)
- 041 - Campbell Blue (289kb)
- 042 - Nolan (309kb)
- 043 - Blue Range Primitive Area Addition North (398kb)
- 044 - Horton-Willow (329kb)
- 046 - Black River Canyon East (349kb)
- 047 - Black River Canyon West (352kb)
- 049 - Hot Air/Salt House (334kb)
- 050 - Sheep Wash (403kb)
- 051 - Painted Bluffs (384kb)
- 052 - West Blue/San Francisco (326kb)
- 053 - Cold Spring Mountain (396kb)
- 054 - Hells Hole (410kb)
- 055 - Blue Range Primitive Area Addition Southeast (409kb)
- 056 - Chevelon Canyon North (328kb)
- 057 - Coal Creek (400kb)
- 058 - Big Lue Mountains (397kb)
- 060 - Centerfire (292kb)
- 062 - Chevelon Lake (340kb)
- 063 - Milk Creek (252kb)
- 064 - Bear Wallow Wilderness Addition Northwest (290kb)
- 065 - Escudilla Wilderness Addition West (250kb)
- 066 - Bear Wallow Wilderness Addition Southeast (389kb)
- 067 - Sunset (380kb)
- 068 - Blue Range Wilderness Presidential Recommendation (316kb)
- 069 - Blue Range Wilderness Presidential Recommendation Exclusions (343kb)
- 070-072 - Escudilla North, Hulsey, and South Escudilla Mountain (391kb)
- AMS Comprehensive Evaluation Report (1.06 MB)
- AMS Comprehensive Evaluation Report Supplement (118 kb)
- AMS, Recreation, Grazing, Minerals, and Timber Demand (856 kb)
- Collaboration Log (154 kb)
- Demand Report Supplement (92.9 kb)
- Ecological Sustainability (1.88 MB)
- Economic and Social Sustainability (1.11 MB)
- Historic Range of Variation (3.31 MB)
- Insects and Disease History (241 kb)
- Iterative Forest Plan Species Final Update (1.34 MB)
- Management Indicator Species Selection (773 kb)
- Mineral Resources (3.84 MB)
- MIS and EI Selection Report Final Update (728 kb)
- Motorized Recreation Suitability (573 kb)
- Other Lands Summary (1.05 MB)
- Public Comments (1.04 MB)
- Public Participation (13.8 kb)
- Public Participation Plan (1.51 MB)
- Resource Evaluations (976 kb)
- Scenery Management System Inventory (16.8 MB)
- Schussman et al. 2006 Fire Return Intervals (1.14 MB)
- Socioeconomic Assessment (3.90 MB)
- Values Attitudes Beliefs (254 kb)
- Vander Lee et al. 2006 Ecological Biological Diversity (3.50 MB)
- Wallow Fire Changed Condition Assessment (1.23 MB)
- Wild and Scenic River Eligibility (8.86 MB)
- Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Addendum (1.29 MB)
- Wild and Scenic River Eligibility Errata (92.8 kb)
- Wildlife Quiet Areas (1.23 MB)
Forest Plan Revision
On July 30, 2015, Regional Forester Calvin Joyner signed the Record of Decision for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests' Final EIS and Revised Land Management Plan. A Notice of Availability was published in the Federal Register on September 25, 2015, and the revised Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests was implemented on October 25, 2015. This plan replaces the former Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Plan.
Final Plan, Final EIS, and Record of Decision: Final Plan, Final EIS, Record of Decision, and Supporting Documents were published in August, 2015.
Proposed Plan and DEIS: The Proposed Plan, DEIS, and Supporting Documents were made available for public review on February 15, 2013. The 90-day comment period ended on May 17, 2013.
The former Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Plan was completed in 1987. In the years since then, many social and resource conditions changed, scientific information improved, and land management policies evolved. Though the plan was amended many times, some changes could not be addressed quickly or effectively. However, the former plan as amended still provided a solid foundation for forest management. So, instead of starting over from scratch, planners identified and kept parts of the old plan that continued to be effective, while incorporating new information and direction where needed. The revised Land Management Plan for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests was implemented on October 25, 2015, replacing the former Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Plan.
The process to revise the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNFs) 1987 forest plan began with public and Forest Service employee meetings back in 2006. Those meetings posed the question “what needs to change in the current forest plan or current forest management?” Public and employee input were supplemented with science-based planning documents including the Economic and Social Sustainability Assessment, Ecological Sustainability Report, and the Comprehensive Evaluation Report (CER). The CER summarized the existing conditions, trends, and risks to sustainability that would indicate where the 1987 forest plan did not provide adequate guidance for the present and future management of the ASNFs. The CER also described changes needed to bring the 20+year old management plan up-to-date. The reports were later supplemented to meet requirements of the Analysis of the Management Situation (AMS), a component of the revision process specified under the provisions of the 1982 planning rule.
- Revision Update, 03/2014 (PDF)
- Revision Update, 12/2012 (PDF)
- Revision Update, 05/2012 (PDF)
- Revision Review, 12/2008 (PDF)
- Revision Review, 07/2007 (PDF)
- Revision Review, 12/2006 (PDF)
Timeline | Accomplishment |
|---|---|
| Spring-Fall 2006 | Public and Forest Service employee meetings to identify need for change |
| January-February 2007 | Public and Forest Service employee meetings to obtain more information on the issues and topics we have heard so far, as well as input on what they felt was most important |
| March 2007 | U.S. District Court in California enjoined the Forest Service from using the 2005 planning rule |
| November 2007 | Meeting to provide technical information regarding the processes and science used in the development of the Comprehensive Evaluation Report |
| April 2008 | The 2008 planning rule is published in the Federal Register |
| August 2008 | The initial set of draft desired conditions are made available for review and comment |
| September 2008 | Public meetings to gather feedback on the draft desired conditions |
| December 2008 | Comprehensive Evaluation Report and related documents (Ecological Sustainability Report and Economic and Social Sustainability Assessment) are available for review and comment |
| December 2008 | Notice of Initiation (to revise the forest plan) is published in the Federal Register |
| June 2009 | The Working Draft Land Management Plan is available for review and comment |
| June 2009 | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California enjoined the Forest Service from using the 2008 planning rule |
| December 2009 | Notice of Intent (to revise the forest plan and to prepare an EIS) is published in the Federal Register; revision efforts proceed following the provisions of the 1982 planning rule |
| March-April 2010 | Public and Forest Service employee meetings to gather feedback on draft alternatives |
| May 2010 | Finalize alternatives and begin analysis and development of the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Statement) and Proposed Plan |
| May 2011 | Wallow Fire – 538,000 acre fire on the Apache National Forest interrupts plan revision |
| August 2011 | ID planning team begins to inventory, assess, and document the changed conditions caused by the Wallow Fire. The information is used to update the DEIS |
| April 2012 | The Forest Service publishes the final rule and record of decision for the 2012 planning rule. The Apache-Sitgreaves NF plan revision continues under the provisions of the 1982 planning rule as allowed by the 2012 planning rule. |
| January 2013 | The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests publish the DEIS and Proposed Plan for a 90-day comment period. |
| August 2015 | The Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests publish the FEIS, Final Plan, and Record of Decision. |