Forests start new set of public meetings
National forests in the Inland Northwest are starting new rounds of public meetings as they advance to new phases in revising management plans that affect issues of intense public interest.
Where off-road vehicles will be allowed, how fires will be managed, where loggers will be able to work and how wildlife is managed are among the many topics addressed by the plans.
National Forests in Eastern Washington are working separately from the adjacent Idaho Panhandle National Forests, requiring residents in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene regions to divide their attention.
On Monday in Spokane, the Panhandle Forests will present preliminary proposals based on the recommendations made in more than a year of effort by agencies, tribes and citizens. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Bureau of Land Management Office, 1103 N. Fancher Road.
The meeting will summarize “suitable uses” within various management areas, said Forest Supervisor Ranotta McNair. Similar information will be covered at 13 meetings to follow in North Idaho.
District rangers are scheduled to present changes to the current proposals in September.
The draft forest plans for the Panhandle National Forests and the adjacent Kootenai National Forest are scheduled for release in February 2006.
In Washington on the Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee national forests, the next phase of public comment will focus on roadless areas. The public can comment on proposals for roadless area boundaries until Aug. 15.
A public meeting focusing on roadless areas is set for 7 p.m. on July 18 at the Community Colleges Dominion Room in Colville.
All of the forests provide detailed information about proposals and allow people to comment on special Web sites devoted to forest planning.
In May, the Northern Region forests in Montana and Idaho announced changes to their forest planning rules. Even though the changes are midstream in the process, McNair said they won’t undo the public input already devoted to the issues.
“The key difference,” she said, “is that in the next round of public meetings we’ll be looking at all the issues on one map, one starting point, based on the whole variety of issues brought forward by the public. We’ll continue to work with one map in front of us instead of 20 different alternatives.”
For example, she said, this round of discussions might look at what sort of recreational use could occur in an area covering four or five watersheds. “The next round after this will get more detailed, and may look at specific trails,” she said.
Following are the next round of Panhandle forest plan meetings in addition to the Monday meeting in Spokane:
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m., Bonners Ferry Library.
Wednesday, 6 p.m, Priest Lake Elementary School.
Thursday, 6:30 p.m., St. Joe Ranger Station in St. Maries.
July 20, 6:30 p.m., Sandpoint Ranger Station.
July 21, 6:30 p.m., Best Western University Inn, Moscow.
July 26, 7 p.m, Forest Supervisor’s Office, 3815 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene.
July 27, 7 p.m, Labor Department office on Wildcat Way in Kellogg.