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The U.S. Department of Agriculture is adopting a new rule (planning rule). The new planning rule guides the development, amendment, and revision of land management plans for all units of the National Forest System (NFS), consisting of 155 national forests, 20 grasslands, and 1 prairie. This planning rule sets forth process and content requirements to guide the development, amendment, and revision of land management plans to maintain and restore NFS land and water ecosystems while providing for ecosystem services and multiple uses. The planning rule is designed to ensure that plans provide for the sustainability of ecosystems and resources; meet the need for forest restoration and conservation, watershed protection, and species diversity an...
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Photos by steven lane/The Columbian
An excavator digs into an old Forest Service roadbed at a crossing over Youngman Creek, a tributary of the Wind River, where a culvert blocks passage of threatened steelhead and native cutthroat trout. The Gifford Pinchot National Forest won a three-year, $900,000 federal grant to improve fish passage at sites like this across the forest. At top, huckleberries and fir boughs are significant sources of new revenue for the forest.
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The Forest Service has finalized the development of an internal directive to Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2900 for invasive species management. This final invasive species management directive will provide foundational comprehensive guidance for the management of invasive species on aquatic and terrestrial areas of the National Forest System (NFS). This directive articulates broad objectives, policies, responsibilities, and definitions for Forest Service employees and partners to more effectively communicate NFS invasive species management requirements at the local, regional, and national levels. This directive primarily serves to clarify and improve the understanding, scope, roles, principles, and responsibilities associated with NFS invasive species management for Forest Service employ...
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Mitsubishi Cement Corporation is submitting to the San Bernardino National Forest and San Bernardino County, for permitting, a Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan for the South Quarry. The South Quarry will total approximately 153.6 acres consisting of a 128-acre quarry, a 2.7 acre landscape berm, a 22.2-acre haul road 1.8 miles in length, and a temporary construction road of 0.7 acres. The South Quarry and haul road will be located almost entirely (147.0 acres) on 440 acres of unpatented claims owned by Mitsubishi Cement Corporation on the San Bernardino National Forest with approximately 6.6 acres of the haul road located on Mitsubishi Cement Corporation fee land where it enters the existing East Pit. Current estimates project the South Quarry could feed the cement plant for appro...
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has re- established the (Board). The purpose is to obtain advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having forest wide implications. In an earlier notice, the Forest Service indicated it was seeking nominations for individuals to be considered as committee members, and the public was invited to submit nominations for membership. That notice, ``Notice of intent to re-establish the and call for nominations,'' was publi...
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The USDA, Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest, gives notice of intent to conduct analysis and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the removal of the noxious weed Tamarisk across the Los Padres National forest: this notice announces the beginning of scoping, describes the proposed action, decisions to be made, and estimates the dates for filing the draft and final EIS. This notice also provides information concerning public participation, and the names and addresses of the Agency officials who can provide information.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service intends to re-establish the (Board). The purpose is to obtain advice and recommendations on a broad range of forest issues such as forest plan revisions or amendments, forest health including fire management and mountain pine beetle infestations, travel management, forest monitoring and evaluation, recreation fees, and site-specific projects having forest wide implications. The Forest Service is also seeking nominations for individuals to be considered as committee members. The public is invited to submit nominations for membership.
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This order withdraws approximately 1,006,545 acres of public and National Forest System lands from location and entry under the Mining Law of 1872, 30 U.S.C. 22-54, subject to valid existing rights, for a period of 20 years in order to protect the Grand Canyon Watershed from adverse effects of locatable mineral exploration and development.
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The Klamath National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to document and publically disclose the environmental effects of implementing the Pumice Vegetation Management project. The project is being developed to address deteriorating forest health conditions, increasing hazardous fuel conditions, and reduced ecological diversity all caused by a century of fire exclusion, and past management activities.
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The USDA, Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest, gives notice of intent to conduct analysis and prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the removal of the noxious weed Tamarisk across the Los Padres National forest: This notice announces the beginning of scoping, describes the proposed action, decisions to be made, and estimates the dates for filing the draft and final EIS. This notice also provides information concerning public participation, and the names and addresses of the Agency officials who can provide information.