The Bridger Teton National Forest recently commenced the Forest Plan Revision process. The last Forest Plan was published in 1990, and a lot has changed since then. Don’t let this once in a generation opportunity go by without providing your input – it will influence forest management for the next 30 years.
Forest Planning typically occurs in three stages:
- Assess
- Plan
- Monitor
We are currently in the Assessment phase, in which the Forest does a rapid evaluation of the “state of the forest.” The assessment focuses on the current ecological, social, and economic conditions of the forest as well as trends that affect the sustainability of various forest uses. The assessment is not a decision document, but it will provide the foundation on which they will write the revised forest plan.
It is important to make your voice heard in this process. There are currently two statewide outdoor recreation surveys that the Bridger Teton will look at as part of their assessment. Please take 10-20 minutes to complete each of these surveys so that your voice and preferences will be heard in the forest plan revision process.
The Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, along with over 20 other conservation / recreation NGOs, have been preparing for this Forest Plan Revision for over three years. Working together as the “Bridger Teton Working Group,” they have completed their own assessment and are in the process of finalizing recommendations for the Bridger Teton Forest Plan Revision. Their recommendations focus on conserving the incredible lands, waters, and wildlife of the Bridger Teton National Forest, while also considering sustainability in the face of threats like climate change and growing use patterns. Their recommendations span 15 different plan components (wildlife emphasis, watersheds, recreation, wilderness, roads, migration, infrastructure, etc) for the entire 3.4 million acres of the Bridger-Teton. Thank you for being our partner in protecting the wildlife and wild places in the Bridger Teton National Forest!
