The US Forest Service has released it's preliminary rule for how our National Forests will be managed in the future.  The so called "NFMA Rule" is a long anticipated result that has involved the vigilance of conservation groups and citizens for several years.  Initial responses give the newly released rule a favorable response. As always Wild South will remain committed to an ecologically sound and principled approach to caring for our public lands.

Below are a series of releases from national organizations who have weighed in on the announcement:

New Forest Planning Prioritizes Science, Water  

Washington, DC: The Obama administration today announced new planning standards to guide how America’s 192 million acres of national forests and grassland will be used and protected in the future. The new standards follow more than 75 public meetings to gather input on how the Forest Service should update forest management for the 21st century.   

In response Frances Hunt, director of the Sierra Club’s Resilient Habitats campaign issued the following statement.  

"We're pleased to see the Obama administration taking action to protect our forests and grasslands. The new standards respond to public comments, rightly prioritizing science in deciding how to best protect our waters, wildlife and wild places for a rapidly changing future. They take a more holistic approach to managing these important lands and for the first time require agency plans and decisions to address the impacts of climate change on our nation's natural systems.  

The standards represent a renewed commitment to safeguarding America's clean water by an agency that has traditionally prioritized commercial logging. Restoring and protecting the watersheds and waterways that supply about one-fifth of our nation's water is good for our families, our health and our economy. Fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing and other outdoor recreational activities generate over $700 billion for the economy each year and support thousands of jobs.  

America's national forests offer one-of-a-kind opportunities for families from coast to coast to recreate, retreat and recharge. The new standards announced today can help ensure that our forests will survive for future generations to explore and enjoy. We will continue to work with the Forest Service to promote effective enforcement of strong habitat protections and implementation of plans that are in the best long term interest of our great outdoors."

The Wilderness Society Statement on  

Obama Administration’s Release of Forest Planning Rule  

SEATTLE, WA (January 26, 2012) - The following statement from Mike Anderson, Senior Resource Analyst for The Wilderness Society, is in response to the Obama Administration’s release of a new National Forest Planning Rule.  

“The Forest Service has needed a new planning rule for some time in order to move forward with the important task of updating management plans for the National Forest System.  The process of revising forest management plans is an important one – it gives citizens a voice in the management of their national forests and assurance that our national forests will successfully fulfill their role as providers of clean water, healthy outdoor recreation, and habitat to imperiled species.   

“The agency’s latest proposal provides a strong vision and generally sound framework for sustainably managing our national forests, and represents an improvement over the earlier draft in many respects. It relies on sound science, provides direction to protect the ecological integrity of national forests, creates mechanisms for addressing climate change, and emphasizes the importance of water.  We are hopeful that it will result in management plans that reflect modern-day thinking about ecosystem management, and that provide important services like clean drinking water and great recreational experiences.   

“The Forest Service has made a sincere effort to reach out to the public, scientists, and stakeholder groups as it developed the new planning rule, and it is clear from the changes contained in this new draft that they have attempted to address many of the public’s concerns.  

“Although we agree with the proposed rule’s overall vision, problems with the specifics remain.  For example, we are concerned that the Forest Service will not be adequately accountable for achieving the rule’s goals, and that unfair bureaucratic requirements will  interfere with citizens’ ability to voice concerns and challenge agency decisions.  We urge the Administration to address these and other important concerns before the rule is finalized.  

“We look forward to working with the Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture to address the remaining problems with the rule, and once the rule is finalized to begin the process of developing more effective management plans for our national forests.”  

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The Wilderness Society is the leading public-lands conservation organization working to protect wilderness and inspire Americans to care for our wild places. Founded in 1935, and now with more than 500,000 members and supporters, TWS has led the effort to permanently protect 110 million acres of wilderness and to ensure sound management of our shared national lands. www.wilderness.org