From ARRA news March 2011:
"Forest Service Planning Rule
The draft plan was finally published in the Federal Register on Feb 14, 2011 and is open to public comment for 90 days (access the draft rule in the Federal Register online). Comments must be submitted by close of business on May 16, 2011. For those of us who worried that the agency would continue to ignore recreation like they did when the Notice of Intent was published, well, that battle is over. The Forest Service now says that recreational use of Forest Service lands is appropriate and very important. For all of you who submitted comments about this oversight, congratulations on a job well done. Even so, there isn't much time to celebrate. Reading and understanding the 50-page document is not an easy process.
The Forest Service is holding a series of forums throughout the country to increase public understanding of the draft rule and to respond to questions from forum participants. A National Roundtable is being held in Washington, D. C. on March 10th and we anticipate a lively discussion. If you would like to find out when and where the regional meetings will take place, please visit the Draft Schedule at
www.fs.usda.gov. We encourage you to attend one of these sessions. It's important to hear from the drafters of this plan about their intentions so we can decide whether those intentions are truly reflected in the written word.
Frankly, the more we read the draft, the more questions we have. While we are relieved that we no longer need to battle the issue of recreation's rightful place on Forest Service land, we now have to make sure that the draft plan actually creates an environment that welcomes all forms of recreation where appropriate. In the coming weeks, we will be sharing with you, in more detail, our thoughts about the draft rule."
Update ARRA April 2011 news:
"Forest Service Planning Rule - Peeling an Onion
We were among those who attended the March 10th National Roundtable in Washington where the Forest Service planning team explained the draft rule and the rationale behind its evolution. The good news (and it is very good news, indeed) is that the agency recognizes and acknowledges the importance of recreational use of Forest Service lands and grasslands. This is a battle that no longer needs to be waged.
Studying the draft planning rule itself is a little like peeling an onion one layer at a time. Maybe a better analogy might be an archeological dig where archeologists carefully sift through debris one layer at a time searching for clues to unlock the secrets of previous generations. With the draft planning rule, we find ourselves sifting through pages of the draft to find clues of intent or the meaning to such cryptic terms and concepts as "sustainable recreation, best available scientific information, social/economic sustainability, and species of conservation concern." Peeling an onion sometimes bring tears. It's too early to tell what the ultimate effects of the new rule, but I am preparing myself for the possibility that in the end, this might become a tearful experience."
