Community Stewardship Through 

National Forest Planning & Decision Making

National Forest Planning is increasingly offering opportunities for citizens and institutions to engage each other in community and ecosystem stewardship practices. This often occurs through increasingly frequent chances for dialogue, learning, and problem-solving among individuals and representatives of differing perspectives, knowledge, and values.

 

Collaboration = "the sharing of responsibility among people for something they care about.” 

Forest Planning is a Chance to Make Decisions Collaboratively

The upcoming San Juan National Forest Plan Revision process has engaged with citizens in such interaction as early as 1996. Beginning again in 2001, Forest Service representatives with the San Juan will shape alternatives with citizens that accurately reflect their desires and ensure the forest's planning direction improves its management outcomes.

Stewardship  & Collaborative Planning Builds Community Awareness

This was the case with the San Juan National Forest Community Study Groups in southwest Colorado. Click Here to read a Summary Report about the study group experience. The study groups met monthly for more than a year getting to know each other and the issues related to public land planning and management. Then they, along with US Forest Service specialists, discussed potential solutions.

Stewardship  & Collaborative Planning is a Process of Dialogue

The USDA Forest Service sponsored Web site Eco-Watch Dialogues contains links to forums in which participants discuss emerging issues, policy, and law in forest and rangeland ecosystem management.