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USFS Planning Rules Overhaul On November 27, the U.S. Forest Service announced a major overhaul of regulations implementing the National Forest Management Act, to enable elimination of what the Administration characterizes as duplicative or unnecessary environmental review and to allow forest supervisors more independent discretion in local project implementation, and restricting the forms in which public comment on individual projects may be submitted. The Administration and the resource-dependent industries praised this overhaul in similar terms, noting that it would reduce administrative costs and above all time in approving management projects. Among the less publicized of the proposed regulations is a requirement that any public comment on project-level decisions cite specific laws, regulations, or policies; the regulations would also eliminate from consideration comments submitted by such means as mass postcards, e-mails, or similar form mailings. A 90-day public comment period on the regulations is now underway. Return to Public Policy Archive Forest Resources Association
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