New Approaches on Energy and the Environment

CHAPTER

18

Streamlining Forest Service Planning

by Roger A. Sedjo

The Forest Service has a complex and very costly process to create plans for the various national forests. It has been estimated that 40 percent of the total direct work of the agency is involved in planning, which consumes more than 20 percent of the national appropriations, several hundred million dollars. These plans often are not implemented, however, because of appeals and litigation, changing circumstances such as the creation of new critical habitat areas and roadless set-asides, or major disruptions as caused by wildfire. Sir, I recommend that you dramatically revise and simplify the planning process. You can do this without changing the existing legislation, although it ...