Don’t confuse the freddie

The U.S. Forest Service’s determined efforts to ignore management rules established in 2000 crept closer to success with the publication of an environmental impact statement. A five-year planning process started in 1995 culminated in “social, economic and ecological sustainability” being adopted as a management goal for public forests. When the agency’s leadership changed in 2001, the sustainability standard was rejected as “difficult and expensive.” The Forest Service conducted a review and “business analysis,” which revealed that “unnecessarily detailed requirements” would overwhelm their staff. The plan “did not recognize limitations on the availability of scientists” and “injects scientists directly into the planning process,” which the agency said “could lead to confusion about what role the scientists play in the decision.” They published an altered rule in 2002 that gutted ecological monitoring and scientific input and returned the agency to 1982 standards. Revisions and court challenges have prolonged adoption of a new plan, but the agency expects to finally publish its “feasible” version next year.