Forest Officials Rewriting Guidelines

Officials of the Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle national forests are starting to rewrite the plans that guide their management tactics.

Federal law requires the plans be updated every 15 years. But the two forests are the first in the Rocky Mountain region to update their plans under new regulations from agency headquarters that require more stringent scientific review and public collaboration.

“The process and procedures have been thought of but not really thought through,” said David Wright, supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.

A core team of eight or nine staffers from the Panhandle and Kootenai are working on the rewrite, which is expected to take four years. To bring in the public, the Forest Service will hold public meetings throughout North Idaho to discuss the revisions.

The forests stretch from St. Maries to Eureka, Mont. Combining forces on a plan revision isn’t unusual: The Payette, Boise and Sawtooth national forests recently finished a cooperative planning process.

Wright said he expects forest access to top the list of public concerns, along with endangered species issues.