Plan Development and Scoping the Proposed Action

The revision team has compiled a preliminary draft land management plan, also known as the proposed action in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, based on the Assessment and draft Preliminary Need to Change.

This involves developing plan components, which must achieve all the requirements in the 2012 Planning Rule. Plan components guide what future site-specific projects and activities may take place, where they can occur, and under what conditions. They are intended to be interdependent, with suites of plan components designed to meet specific needs. Land management plans have desired conditions, objectives, standards and guidelines, identification of suitability of areas, and monitoring programs.

The overarching purpose of the plan revision process is to ensure that national forests are sustainably managed for generations to come. To accomplish that purpose, plan components must address several ecological and socioeconomic topics, including:

• Air quality
• Best management practices for maintaining water quality
• Cultural and historic resources and uses
• Diversity of plant and animal communities
• Ecosystem services
• Multiple uses that contribute to local, regional, and national economies in a sustainable manner
• Opportunities for timber and forage production
• Opportunities to connect people with nature
• Opportunities for maintaining, restoring, and protecting riparian areas
• Social, cultural, and economic conditions relevant to the area influenced by the land management plan
• Soils and soil productivity, including guidance to reduce soil erosion and sedimentation
• Sustainable recreation, including recreational opportunities, access, and scenic character
• Water quality
• Water resources in the plan area, including guidance to prevent or mitigate detrimental changes in quantity, quality, and availability.

What is the Proposed Action?

Under NEPA, a proposed action is a proposal by the Forest Service to authorize, recommend or implement an action on federally managed lands. The current proposed action is to revise the existing land management plans for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa - Whitman National Forests. The proposed action must be clearly described to proceed with analysis.

The Blue Mountains National Forest’s plan revision proposed action:

• Is a preliminary draft land management plan,
• Responds to the draft Need to Change,
• Is informed by best available scientific information and public input,
• Provides the “building blocks” that the Forest Service anticipates including in the proposed plan,
• Built with no alternatives; and
• Comments will be used to identify significant issues which will inform development of alternatives. 

What does Scoping the Proposed Action mean?

Scoping the proposed action is a beginning point outlined in the NEPA process. The scoping period is when the public can formally comment on the proposed action, the preliminary draft land management plan, and say what you think are important issues for the agency to consider.

 Commenting during the scoping period may establish an individual’s eligibility to object to the eventual draft decision.

Documents

With some of the larger files, particularly the maps and species overviews, we recommend downloading the content rather than trying to scroll through them in the browser. Thank you for your patience! Please reach out by email or by giving us a call, (541) 278-3716, if you have any trouble accessing these documents.