GRANGEVILLE, ID – The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests will be holding additional public meetings in 2014 on revising the Forest Plan. The public will have the opportunity to comment on how they would like to see the National Forests managed.

From Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests:
The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests were selected to be “early adopters” of the Forest Service’s 2012 Planning Rule which emphasizes collaboration to develop the plan. Rick Brazell, Forest Supervisor, extends an invitation to the public to participate. “Everyone that has an interest in management of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests is welcome to come and give their input. We’ve had approximately 50 to 60 people participate in each meeting and encourage all thoughts on management. This has been an exciting time to bring people together and hear their ideas.”

The meetings will be:

· February 8, 2014 at the Orofino Forest Service Office. Topics include Air Quality, Fire, and Fuel Management, Distinctive Roles of the Forest, and What’s Next in the NEPA Process.

· March 8, 2014 at the Grangeville Forest Service Office. Topics include Air Quality, Fire, and Fuel Management follow-up, Social and Economic Assessment Presentation, updates on Timber Suitability, and Recreation Opportunity Spectrum and Recommended Wilderness.

· April 5, 2014 at the Orofino Forest Service Office. The topic will be Wildlife Resources.

· May 10, 2014 at the Grangeville Forest Service Office. Topics include Integration Reports of all resources, a review of Tribal Resources input, and Wildlife Resources follow-up. This is the final planned collaboration session prior to initiating scoping for the NEPA process.

A Draft Forest Plan is expected to be available in June for interested parties to provide formal input through the NEPA process. Public meetings will be held at this time to share key items from the plan, answer questions, and for the public to learn how to provide comments.

For more information on these collaborative meetings or how you can participate outside of the meetings, please contact Carol Hennessey, Forest Plan Revision Collaboration Coordinator, at 208-935-4270 or email at [email protected]. You can also visit the Forest Plan Revision website athttp://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5388769.