The Forest Service is proposing to establish a new chapter and new direction for all types of monitoring activities across the National Forest System to track conditions and inform evidence-based decision-making and adaptive management. This directive will require a 30-day public notice and comment period.
For the proposed directive please visit the following link: https://usfs-public.box.com/s/5hfp5d81tj5dx0kvffd0y3fpxxjx0zxf
The Forest Service devotes considerable resources to monitoring. Although some monitoring programs are high-quality, there is a common perception that the agency does not fully benefit from monitoring efforts. The new directive related to National Forest System monitoring encourages streamlining Agency monitoring by focusing efforts on the most relevant management information needs and by relying on existing data when possible to support and inform adaptive resource management. The directive will promote learning to reduce uncertainty, inform land and resource management practices, and comply with laws, regulations, and policy. In drafting the policy, the Agency adhered to the following five fundamental principles: conduct monitoring strategically and efficiently; be transparent by tracking, meeting, and sharing monitoring commitments; base monitoring methods on accurate, reliable, relevant science and Indigenous Knowledge; engage in internal and external partnerships; and use current technology and existing data sets and data management systems.
The new directive will be located in: Forest Service Manual 2000 – National Forest Resource Management, Chapter 2040 – National Forest System Monitoring. The policy strives to create a framework that supports strategic thinking about what questions to ask of monitoring data and how to most efficiently use the answers to inform resource management. Formalizing the monitoring policy will help the agency increase accountability by creating a foundation for increasing the pace and scale of learning related to management activity effectiveness.
The Forest Service values public participation. Communications from the public regarding this project, including commenters' names and contact information, will become part of the public record. Comments, including anonymous comments, will be accepted at any time. However, comments posted after the close of a designated comment period may not be able to be given full consideration. After the 45-day comment period closes, the Forest Service will consider timely comments that are within the scope of the proposed directive in the development of the final directive.
The minimum 120-day Tribal consultation for the proposed directive was initiated on September 16, 2022. Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations are encouraged to continue to request consultations with national, regional, and local consulting officials on the national monitoring policy, procedures, and actions throughout development and implementation.
A notice of the final directive, including a response to comments, will be posted on the Forest Service’s webpage at https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/regulations-policies.
For the proposed directive please visit the following link: https://usfs-public.box.com/s/5hfp5d81tj5dx0kvffd0y3fpxxjx0zxf
Mara Alexander
