position statements: federal land management
More than 100 years ago, Congress and the President of the United States were concerned about the nation's ability to provide a predictable and sustainable flow of products and services for its citizens. Through the Organic Act of 1897 Congress authorized the creation of what is now the National Forest System. This law provided for the establishment of forest reserves "to improve and protect the forest within the boundaries, or for the purpose of securing favorable conditions of water flows, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use and necessities of citizens of the United States."
The Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act (MUSYA) of 1960 reaffirmed the application of sustainability to the broad range of resources over which the USDA Forest Service has responsibility. This law confirms the USDA Forest Service's authority to manage the national forests and grasslands "for outdoor recreation, range, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish purposes without limitation to the USDA Forest Service's discretion in determining the appropriate resource emphasis or levels of use of the lands within each national forest and grassland."
Since the passage of the MUSYA, the citizens of the United States have become increasingly concerned about environmental decline throughout the United States. Congress responded by enacting several laws directed toward the protection and improvement of the environment, the conservation of natural resources to ensure meeting the needs of the American people into perpetuity and providing for greater involvement of its citizens in natural resource decision making. The National Forest Management Act of 1976 requires the USDA Forest Service to manage the National Forest System lands in accordance with land and resource management plans that provide for multiple uses and sustained yield through an "integrated consideration of physical, biological, economic, and other sciences."
The broad discretion of the USDA Forest Service over land and resource management envisioned by the earlier management acts is limited by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Under NEPA all USDA Forest Service proposals for major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment must include detailed statements of the environmental effects and alternatives to proposals. ESA requires the USDA Forest Service to "utilize their authorities in furtherance of the purposes of this [act] by carrying out programs for the conservation of endangered species and threatened species" in consultation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Implementation of these laws increases the complexity of planning and implementing resource management decisions; however, existing legislation continues to provide for these lands to be managed to produce "products and services." These products and services are to be produced on a sustainable basis from lands producing a multitude of purposes for all citizens. Land use is to be implemented using plans developed with substantial public input on each national forest plan. Furthermore, the plans are to be developed recognizing the need to protect non-commodity assets and the need to protect species diversity.
While the discretion of the USDA Forest Service in resource management continues to be constrained, the original land base established for resource production has also been substantially reduced for various purposes, including protection of wilderness or scenic values, rare species, water quality protection, and others. In the Pacific Northwest, the Northwest Forest Plan, for example, reduced the level of timber harvest projected by previous sustained yield management plans by 80 percent, with actual harvest far below even that figure. Minerals and grazing production have suffered like reductions and water production is allocated to anadromous fisheries production.
Demands for, and supplies of, renewable resources from National Forest System lands will continue to change over time in response to increasing populations, changing preferences, changing land use on private lands, improved technology and better information. Currently, the United States is at a critical point for several strategic natural resources, including timber, energy, and irrigation water to support food production. Demand by the citizens of the United States for forest products, water, minerals, and grazing land is at an all-time high and is expected to increase. Currently, the United States is only meeting about 60 percent of its national forest products demand from within its borders. Continuing to attempt to meet these needs from outside our borders has it risks.
To meet the projected demands of a growing population more outputs will need to be produced from the available National Forest System land base. Managers of the National Forest System lands located in the Pacific Northwest region must develop the necessary information to determine sustainable production levels of a wide variety of goods and services provided by its forests and grasslands. These managers must ascertain that lands currently allocated to resource production are being optimally utilized for those purposes. Land management practices and processes must continually be monitored to ensure that the sustainable productivity of these lands is being maintained and/or enhanced. The USDA Forest Service should strive to develop and use the best scientific information available to support ecological, economic and social sustainability. The knowledge base provided should be continuously improved through research, inventory and monitoring to enhance the scientific understanding of ecosystems, including human uses, and to support decision making and sustainable management of its forests and grasslands. Organizational and administrative layers should be examined to ensure their structure and mission efficiently supports maintaining or enhancing sustainable productivity. Opportunities to streamline processes and to eliminate unnecessary administrative layers must be identified and implemented. In addition, the Northwest Forest Plan should continually be monitored for ways to improve the capability of its forests and grasslands to provide desired sustainable levels of uses, values, products, and services.
Adopted with 92% approval by member referendum of the Washington State Society of American Foresters (WSSAF) on December 4, 2002. This statement will expire on December 4, 2005, unless after thorough review it is renewed by the WSSAF Executive Committee.