Forest Service seeking public comment on monitoring plan transition

The United States Forest Service is seeking public comment on a plan to change the 2015 Forest Plan monitoring program to meet the requirements of the 2012 National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule (2012 Planning Rule).

“This is to help us answer the question of how we meet the standards, guidelines and desired conditions of the new Forest Plan,” said Forest Supervisor Chris Savage.

The administrative change alters the monitoring program to include two types of species assemblages.

“Although, our current monitoring program addresses the eight mandatory resource items, we are required to identify focal species to provide insight into the effectiveness of the 2015 Forest Plan in maintaining or restoring the ecological conditions to maintain the diversity of plant and animal communities in the plan area,” Forest Service spokesman Willie Sykes wrote in a press release. “Through this administrative change to the monitoring program, the landbird assemblage will be used as a focal species to indicate the integrity of terrestrial vegetation structure and function, and the aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblage will help indicate the integrity of aquatic habitat (water quality).”

The agency is accepting comment until April 25, 2016.