PORTLAND — The U.S. Forest Service is extending the comment period for its published notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement on the proposal to amend the 17 land management plans of the Northwest Forest Plan, the agency announced.

The comment period has been extended to Feb. 2, allowing additional time for the public to review and submit feedback on this initiative. 

Formal comments may be submitted electronically via the comment page at http://tinyurl.com/4ucvvs6h. While comment page submissions are strongly preferred, letters may also be mailed to: Regional Forester, Region 6, U.S. Forest Service, Attn: Northwest Forest Plan Comments, 1220 SW Third Ave., Portland, OR, 97204.

“We have corrected the deadline for the comment period to ensure that the public has the full 45-day period to provide their valuable feedback on the Notice of Intent for the proposed amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan,” said Michele Miranda, senior engagement specialist with the Pacific Planning Service Group. “The extension also aligns with the comment period deadline for the old-growth forest conservation amendment proposal, in hopes of preventing any confusion and providing the public with a clear and coordinated timeline for their participation.”

The notice of intent identifies changed conditions that are driving the need to amend the plan with a focus on five key areas: wildfire resilience, climate change adaptation, tribal inclusion, sustainable communities, and conservation of old growth ecosystems and related biodiversity. The Forest Service is committed to preserving the elements of the plan that are working well while incorporating the latest science to help forests adapt to social, economic, cultural and ecological changes, officials of the agency said.

The Forest Service has scheduled a series of informational winter webinars and a virtual open house to help provide a better understanding of the Northwest Forest Plan and the notice of intent. These events will offer an opportunity for individuals to learn more about the current amendment effort and how to submit their comments.

All webinars will provide the same presentation but offer a choice of different days and times to accommodate schedules. Interested participants can use the links below to register for the informational winter webinars and virtual open house.

January webinars:

Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.: visit http://tinyurl.com/nmfudp25.

Saturday, Jan. 20, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.: visit http://tinyurl.com/4du2y55e .

Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: visit http://tinyurl.com/5chynauz.

Thursday, Jan. 25, from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: visit http://tinyurl.com/nhwdcheb.

February open house:

Thursday, Feb. 8, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.: visit http://tinyurl.com/ye7v392k.

There will be limited time for questions and unofficial feedback at the webinars. The virtual open house will offer more time for questions and feature a panel of agency staff working on the amendment.

Feedback shared at these events will not be considered official comments for purposes of standing to file objections.

Because the Northwest Forest Plan is a landscape-scale plan covering 24 million acres, the amendment and webinars will not address things such as recreation, hunting, grazing or permits or other forest-specific uses.

An additional official comment period will also follow the draft environmental impact statement, currently estimated to be available by summer of 2024.

The latest updates on the progress and additional information about the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment can be found here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfp.

The Northwest Forest Plan covers 24.5 million acres of federally managed lands in western Oregon and Washington and northwestern California. It was established in 1994 to address threats to threatened and endangered species while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region. After nearly 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan needs to be updated to accommodate changed ecological and social conditions.

The Forest Service is required by law to develop plans that guide the long-term management of public lands. The Forest Service will amend the Northwest Forest Plan in accordance with the 2012 Planning Rule, using public input and other public, private, and nonprofit organizations and governments. Land management plans establish priorities and provide strategic direction for how the plan area is to be managed.

Amendments to this plan will be informed by findings in the Bioregional Assessment and Science Synthesis as well as input from the Federal Advisory Committee and a range of other interested organizations and individuals. This effort builds on the agency’s Northwest Forest Plan work, including information gathered via monitoring, listening sessions and bioregional assessment.