Meeting Will Focus On Forest Proposal

A town hall meeting scheduled for Saturday will shed light on a proposal to revamp planning on national forests. Officials from the Idaho Panhandle National Forests will hold the meeting from 9 a.m. until noon at the supervisor’s office, on the southeast corner of Kathleen Avenue and Schreiber Way. Written comments will be accepted but oral comments won’t be recorded, officials say.

Forest health would become a priority under a new directive from agriculture chief Dan Glickman that makes individual forest plans more flexible and adds more scientific and public involvement. Under the proposed regulations, citizens can file formal objections of forest plans before they are finished instead of after the fact.

The Coeur d’Alene meeting is one of numerous sessions held nationally this fall. Information is available at www.fs.fed.us/forum/nepa/rule or by calling (208) 765-7223.