Federal Advisory Committee Completes Detailed Set of Recommendations for Amending Northwest Forest Plan, Says KNF

English Peak in the Marble Mountains is located in the Klamath National Forest [Photo by Mkauffmann – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6095343]

 A Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) has completed a comprehensive set of recommendations for amending the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) aimed at modernizing forest management practices across the Northwest Forest Plan area.

After developing the recommendations over the last 10 months, the committee voted unanimously to approve and advance the completed recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture. The recommendations address critical issues such as ensuring tribes are included in land management planning and implementation, conserving mature and old growth forests and the species that rely on them, providing sustainable economic opportunities for rural communities, and supporting fire resiliency for forests and communities.

The recommendations come as part of an effort to update the NWFP, originally implemented in 1994, to better align with current environmental, social, and economic challenges.

“The recommendations from the FAC represent a significant milestone in our efforts to update the Northwest Forest Plan,” said Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for the Pacific Northwest Region of the Forest Service. “These thoughtful proposals reflect a collaborative approach to addressing the complex challenges facing our forests today, including climate change, wildfire resilience, and the need for sustainable forest management. We are committed to carefully considering these recommendations as we move forward with the plan amendment process.”

The committee developed 192 recommendations targeting key areas that update the current NWFP. These areas include Tribal Inclusion and Rights, Economic Opportunities, Fire Resilience, Climate and Ecosystem Integrity, Carbon Sequestration and Storage, Community Protection, and Adaptive Management. The FAC also made a host of recommendations for how to develop forest stewardship across the diverse NWFP landscape.

The FAC’s work provides a foundation for addressing these complex issues while honoring the plan’s original goals of ecosystem conservation, endangered species habitat protections, and sustainable timber production.

“What the Committee accomplished is historic,” said NWFP FAC co-chairs Susan Jane Brown and Travis Joseph in a joint statement. “By unanimously approving dozens of meaningful recommendations to modernize the Northwest Forest Plan, this group has demonstrated the power of collaboration, consensus, and working together for a common cause. We all share a deep love and commitment to our national forests and people and communities that steward them.”

The 20-person committee is a diverse group from Tribes, local communities, environmental groups, industry, and academia across Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

“We tackled some of the most challenging and contentious issues that ignited the Northwest Forest Wars,” Brown and Joseph wrote. “While we recognize our work does not address all the issues and injustices of the Northwest Forest Plan, the committee’s consensus recommendations represent the most significant progress in the last 30 years to achieve our shared values for responsible forest stewardship on national forests in the Pacific Northwest.”

The Forest Service will carefully review the FAC’s recommendations as the agency works toward amending the NWFP. Public engagement opportunities will be announced in the coming months as the plan amendment process moves forward.

The Federal Advisory Committee’s recommendations can be viewed here:

• NWFP FAC Recommendations direct link:  https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1188978.pdf

The Northwest Forest Plan is a comprehensive plan for administering parts of federally managed lands in Oregon, Washington, and California. The plan was designed to protect old-growth forests and critical habitat for the northern spotted owl, while also providing for forest products, water quality, recreation, and other uses.

For more information visit:

• Northwest Forest Plan Federal Advisory Committee: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfpfac
• Northwest Forest Plan: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6/reo/
• The Pacific Northwest Region: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6
• The Pacific Southwest Region: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r5