The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is seeking public input on a proposed policy for monitoring the health of national forests and grasslands. The proposed policy is designed to provide a framework that supports and strengthens current monitoring policy, minimizing inconsistencies and improving government-to-government relationships with Tribes.
The Forest Service monitors national forests and grasslands to inform land and resource management, reduce uncertainty, promote learning, and comply with laws, regulations and policy. The proposed policy builds on the agency’s foundation of science-based monitoring and provides guidance for developing efficient, transparent monitoring programs, based on both science and Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
“The proposed monitoring policy is a framework that supports strategic thinking about what questions to ask and how to most efficiently use the answers to conduct adaptive management,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “It will help us focus on climate-informed land management to achieve the Forest Service’s multi-purpose mission through science and Indigenous Knowledge.”
The proposed policy was developed through government-to-government consultation with Tribes and is designed to increase transparency, communication and integration with Tribal governments.
The Forest Service is accepting comments through Dec. 27, 2023.
To learn more about the proposed monitoring policy or to submit a comment, visit https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2023-26161/national-forest-system-monitoring-manual-2000-national-forest-resource-management.
