Blue Mountain National Forests reschedule public meetings for forest plan revisions
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, November 14th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
EASTERN OREGON – (Release from the U.S. Forest Service) The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is revising the Land Management Plans for the Malheur, Umatilla, and Wallowa-Whitman National Forests (Blue Mountains National Forests). Public meetings originally planned for December 2024, which aimed to bring awareness to the upcoming National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, will be rescheduled to early 2025. The revision team still anticipates releasing a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register in early 2025.
Wallowa-Whitman Forest Supervisor Shaun McKinney says, “A lot of great work has occurred over the past several months incorporating feedback from across local communities and the public. Hosting the upcoming public meetings after the New Year will help the revision team provide a comprehensive look at what is anticipated when the NOI is published in the Federal Register. Rescheduling the meetings aligns well with the timing of the NOI so the information is fresh and updated for the public.”
The preliminary topics for the upcoming public meetings remain as follows:
- The draft Preliminary Need to Change from the 1990 Land Management Plans.
- The development of the Preliminary Draft Land Management Plan.
- Updates on the National Wild and Scenic Rivers review, the preliminary Species of Conservation Concern lists, and the review of lands that may have Wilderness characteristics.
- The NOI approval process along with the forthcoming Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) development.
- The formal scoping period commencing when the upcoming NOI is published in the Federal Register in early 2025, along with the associated public engagement tools.
Further information and details about the upcoming public meeting schedule are to follow.
Visit the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision website for up to date resources including webinars, background information, and much more.
Have questions about the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision process or want to sign up for the mailing list? Email the revision inbox at sm.fs.bluesforests@usda.gov or call (541) 278-3716.
