Forest Plan Implementation
Forest Plan Overview
Chapter 1 - Forest Plan Introduction
Forest Plan Management Direction
Overview
The majority of the direction for managing the Tongass National Forest is provided by Forest Plan Chapters 2, 3, and 4. The Monitoring and Evaluation Plan in Chapter 6 and the determination of Timber Resource Land Suitability in Appendix A, also provide important direction.
The major components of the Forest Plan are its
- Forest Goals and Objectives
- Land Allocation Map
- Management Prescriptions
- Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines
Forest Goals and Objectives
The Forest-wide Goals and Objectives are described, along with a description of the Desired Condition of the Forest, in Chapter 2.
Land Allocations
Every acre of the Forest is allocated to a specific land allocation called a Land Use Designation or LUD. Some of these LUDs were congressionally designated, such as Wilderness and LUD II areas. Congressionally designated areas must be managed in accordance with the direction provided by their enabling legislation. Other areas on the Forest (the majority of the Forest) are allocated to a specific LUD by the Forest Plan. The map of these land allocations is referred to as the LUD Map or Decision Map.
Each LUD is defined by its
- Goals
- Objectives
- Desired Condition
- Specific Standards and Guidelines
Management Prescriptions
The Forest Plan defines a set of Standards and Guidelines that are specific to each LUD. These Standards and Guidelines, together with the Goals, Objectives, and Desired Conditions, represent the Management Prescription for each LUD. The Management Prescriptions are identified in Chapter 3.
Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines
In addition to the LUD-specific Standards and Guidelines, the Forest Plan defines a set of Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines that apply in all or most areas of the Forest. The Forest-wide Standards and Guidelines are identified in Chapter 4.