Over 400 Scientists Urge the Forest Service to Require Forest Plans to Conform to Best Science and Require Strong Protections for Fish & Wildlife, Clean Water, and Key Watersheds

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Contacts: Dr. Dominick DellaSala (541) 482-4459 Ext. 302, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Dr. Jim Karr (360) 681-3163, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; Dr. Barry Noon (970) 491-7905, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

May 13, 2011

The Honorable Thomas Vilsack, Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20250

Re: Proposed National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule

Dear Secretary Vilsack:

As scientists working in natural resource-related disciplines, we applaud the USDA Forest Service for setting a bold vision for the 193-million-acre National Forest System to guide the development, revision, and amendment of land management plans (36 CFR part 219). The agency’s emphasis on climate change, forest restoration, watershed protection, and wildlife conservation are laudable objectives that we fully support.

The proposed rule places great emphasis on flexibility and local decision-making regarding forest planning decisions. We are concerned that the approach places too much authority in the hands of responsible officials at the unit level without providing guidance, including defined national standards for agency decisions. Without measurable standards and effective monitoring, forest planning will too often fail to comply with the broader purpose and intent of the National Forest System and the National Forest Management Act. While some tangible benefits may derive from planning at the local level, history shows that lack of national standards has resulted in significant losses to natural resource values important to the nation; historic examples include substantial degradation of intact areas prior to the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001, ongoing loss of mature and old-growth forests, and degradation of watersheds.

Our more detailed comments on the proposed draft rule are in Attachment A (following the signatures) and address four areas that must be strengthened if the rule is to achieve its stated objectives: (1) responsible officials should not merely “take into account” best science, but conform forest planning to best available science; (2) each planning unit should identify and protect watersheds; (3) management decisions should be grounded in robust viability standards to safeguard wildlife populations; and (4) forest plans should safeguard and protect ecosystems (e.g., mature and old-growth forests, sensitive soils, riparian areas) vital to the health and ecological sustainability of the National Forest System.  We thank you for considering our views on this vitally important matter. Science-based management of our national forests is crucial if these systems are to continue to provide vital ecological services such as plentiful water supplies, habitat for wildlife and fish, storm and erosion control, and climate mitigation through carbon sequestration and storage. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information or input.

Sincerely, [405 signatories below; Authors listed in alphabetical order and affiliations listed for identification purposes only]

Brett Alan Adams, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Utah State University
Logan, Utah

Peter H. Albers, Ph.D.
Research Wildlife Biologist
Retired USGS
Traverse City, Michigan

John Alcock, Ph.D.
Emeritus Regents' Professor
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona

Joshua D. Amend
Senior Forester
Florida Division of Forestry
Gainesville, Florida

Frank K. Ammer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland

Steven C. Anderson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Biological Sciences
University of Pacific
Stockton, California

William D. Anderson, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina

Warren W. Aney, M.A.
Senior Wildlife Ecologist
Tigard, Oregon

Robert G. Anthony, Ph.D.
Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

W. Scott Armbruster, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska

Don Arnold, B.S.
Biologist III
Santa Clara Valley Water District
San Jose, California

Richard G. Baker, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

William L. Baker, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Bruce Baldwin, Ph.D.
W. L. Jepson Professor and Curator
Jepson Herbarium / Univ. of California
Berkeley, California

Katherine Bannar-Martin, M.Sc.
Austin, Texas
Jesse R. Barber, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho

Linda Sue Barnes, Ph.D.
Prof. Emeritus of Botany
Methodist University
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Frank Barnwell, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota

Carol Baskauf, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

Colden V. Baxter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho

Peter B. Bayley, Ph.D.
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

E. Beever, Ph.D.
Research Ecologist
Bozeman, Montana

Paul Beier, Ph.D.
Flagstaff, Arizona

Steven R. Beissinger, Ph.D.
Leopold Chair of Wildlife Biology
University of California at Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Craig Benkman, Ph.D.
Professor, Zoology and Physiology
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Michael V. L. Bennett, D. Phil.
Professor of Neuroscience
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Bronx, New York

David J. Berg, Ph.D.
Professor
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

Elizabeth Bergey, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma

Carol M. Berman, Ph.D.
Professor
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York

Robert L. Beschta, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Del Blackburn, M.S.
Clark College / Washington State Univ.
Worley, Idaho

Leo Bodensteiner, Ph.D.
Associate Prof. and Chair
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Jim Boone, Ph.D.
Chief Scientist
Desert Wildlife Consultants
Las Vegas, Nevada

Arthur Boucot, Ph.D.
Distinguished Prof. of Zoology & Geology
Oregon State Univ.
Corvallis, Oregon

Richard Bradley, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ohio State University
Marion, Ohio

Jon Brodziak, Ph.D.
Honolulu, Hawaii

William R. Bromer, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology and Env. Science
University of St. Francis
Joliet, Illinois

Robert A. Brown, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Daniel R. Brumbaugh, Ph.D.
Research Associate
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California

Jesse L. Brunner
Assistant Professor
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Peter F. Brussard, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Nevada
Reno, Nevada

Jeffery Burkhart, Ph.D.
Fletcher Jones Professor of Biology
Claremont, California

Harold L. Burstyn, Ph.D., J.D.
Adjunct Professor
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Paul Butler, Ph.D.
Member of the Faculty
The Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington

Tom J. Cade, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Zoology
Cornell University
Boise, Idaho

John Cairns, Jr., Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Bruce H. Campbell, M.S.
Restoration Ecologist (ret.)
Junction City, Oregon

Philip D. Cantino, Ph.D.
Professor
Ohio University
Athens, Ohio

Ken Carloni, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Umpqua Community College
Roseburg, Oregon

Patrick A. Carter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Donna Cassidy-Hanley, Ph.D.
Ithaca, New York

Gib Chase, M.S.
Environmental Resources Specialist
Federal Government (ret.)
Northboro, Massachusetts

Norman L. Christensen, Ph.D.
Research Professor and Founding Dean
Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

John A. Cigliano, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Cedar Crest College
Allentown, Pennsylvania

Neil S. Cobb, Ph.D.
Director
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Mark A. Colwell, Ph.D.
Professor
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Robert K. Colwell, Ph.D.
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

Liza Comita, Ph.D.
Nat'l. Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis
Santa Barbara, California

Bradley J. Cook, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Minnesota State University
Mankato, Minnesota

Joseph A. Cook, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Ian M. Cooke, Ph.D.
Emeritus Prof. of Zoology
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii

Paul Corogin, M.S.
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Jennifer Costanza, Ph.D.
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Alan P. Covich, Ph.D.
Professor of Ecology
Odum School of Ecology
Athens, Georgia

Nancy E. Cowden, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Lynchburg College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Hillary Boyle Cressey, D. A.
Associate Professor of Biology
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Patrick J. Crist, Ph.D.
Director of Conservation Planning and Ecosystem Management
Broomfield, Colorado

Gretchen Daily, Ph.D.
Bing Prof. of Environmental Science
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Thomas J. Daniels, Ph.D.
Associate Research Scientist
Fordham University
Armonk, New York

Satish Davgun, Ph.D.
Professor of Geography
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Luise Davis, Ph.D.
Certified Wetlands Scientist (ret.)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Heather Dawson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Michigan, Flint
Flint, Michigan

John Dayton, M.A.
Lecturer/Technician
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

Paul Dayton, Ph.D.
Professor
Univ. of California, San Diego
Solana Beach, California

James E. Deacon, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus
Henderson, Nevada

Dominick A. DellaSala, Ph.D. President and Chief Scientist Geos Institute Ashland, Oregon

Amy L. Denton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
California State University Channel Islands
Camarillo, California

Mark Dettling, M.S.
Bolinas, California

Andre Dhondt, Ph.D.
Professor
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Alan Dickman, Ph.D.
Program Director, Environmental Studies
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

Brett G. Dickson, Ph.D.
Research Professor
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Dana E. Dolsen, M.Sc.
Holladay, Utah

Sky Dominguez, M.S.
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

Richard J. Douglass, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Montana Tech, Univ. of Montana
Butte, Montana

Elizabeth D. Dreelin, Ph.D.
Columbus, Georgia

Kenneth Driese, Ph.D.
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Peter Dunwiddie, Ph.D.
Ecologist
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Vern Durkee, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Grinnell College
Ithaca, New York

Scott V. Edwards, Ph.D.
Professor and Curator
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Norman Ellstrand, Ph.D.
Professor of Genetics
Univ. of California, Riverside
Riverside, California

Tracy R. Evans, M.S.
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Springfield, Illinois

Jonathan Evans, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
University of the South
Sewanee, Tennessee

Doug Eveleigh, Ph.D.
Chair of Applied Microbiology
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Tracy S. Feldman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
University of Wisconsin Stevens Point
Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Rebe Feraldi, M.S.
Environmental Scientist
ERG
Prairie Village, Kansas

Doug Fischer, Ph.D.
Researcher
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Daniel C. Fisher, Ph.D.
Professor/Curator
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Thomas L. Fleischner, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Studies
Prescott College
Prescott, Arizona

Henri Folse, Ph.D.
San Francisco, California

M. Jesse Ford, Ph.D.
Associate Professor (Research)
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Johannes Foufopoulos, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Michael W. Fox, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Private consultant
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jennifer K. Frey, Ph.D.
Colelge Associate Professor
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Jon M. Friedrich, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Christopher A. Frissell, Ph.D.
Director of Science and Conservation
Pacific Rivers Council
Polson, Montana

Gerald V. Frost, Jr., Ph.D. candidate
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia

Robert R. Fuerstenberg, M.S.
Senior Ecologist
Land and Water Sciences
Vashon, Washington

Jed Fuhrman, Ph.D.
McCulloch-Crosby Chair of Marine Biology
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Stephen W. Fuller, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

A. John Gatz, Ph.D.
Professor of Zoology
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio

Daniel G. Gavin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

T. Luke George, Ph.D.
Professor
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Alexander Gershenson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

Jennifer Gervais, Ph.D.
Wildlife Ecologist
Oregon Wildlife Institute
Corvallis, Oregon

James A. Gessaman, Ph.D.
Professor
Utah State University
Logan, Utah

Thomas W. Giesen, M.S.
Forestry
Lorane, Oregon

Barrie K. Gilbert, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Utah State University (ret.)
Logan, Utah

Bob Gillespie, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator, Ag & Natural Resources
Entomological Society of America
Wenatchee, Washignton

Randall G. Gloege, Ph.D.
Environmental Studies
Billings, Montana

Scott Goetz, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Woods Hole Research Center
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Enrique Gomezdelcampo, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, Ohio

Robert Good, M.S., DVM
Chester, Maryland

David A. Gray, Ph.D.
Professor
California State University
Northridge, California

Steven Green, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

Jon Grinnell, Ph.D.
F. M. Uhler Chair in Biology
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Paul A. Groff, Ph.D.
Director
John C. Gifford Arboretum
Coral Gables, Florida

Michael Hadjiargyrou, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Stony Brook University
Coram, New York

Suzanne Hagell, Ph.D.
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

John Hall, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Richard Halsey, M.A.
Director
California Chaparral Institute
Escondido, California

Ralph S. Hames, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Ithaca, New York

Steven W. Hamilton, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Field Biology
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

Chad Hanson, Ph.D.
Director and Staff Scientist
John Muir Project of Earth Island Institute
Cedar Ridge, California

Cheryl Harding, Ph.D.
Professor
Hunter College
Stanton, New Jersey

Stacey Harmer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Univeristy of California, Davis
Davis, California

Tanner B. Harris, M.S.
Kent, Washington

Robert T. Heath, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio

Alan Heath, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Leanna R Heffner, Ph.D. Candidate
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, Rhode Island

Ken R. Helms, Ph.D
Research Professor
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

Colin P. Henderson, M.S.
Vice President
T.Y. Lin International
Miami, Florida

Robert E. Henshaw, Ph.D.
Environmental Analyst
State Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Albany, New York

Scott Herron, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Jeffery M. Hill, Ph.D.
Professor
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina

Bill Hilton, Jr., M.S., M.A.T.
Executive Director
Hilton Pond Ctr. for Piedmont Natural History
York, South Carolina

Anya Hinkle, Ph.D.
Associate Director
University of North Carolina
Highlands, North Carolina

Karen D. Holl, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California

John R. Holloway, Ph.D.
Research Professor
Arizona State University
Ashland, Oregon

Richard T. Holmes, Ph.D.
Research Professor of Biology
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Jonathan Horton, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of North Carolina, Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina

David V. Howe, M.S.
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Edward Huang, Ph.D.
Principal
CIEDM
Arcadia, California

Gregory M. Huey
NM Environment Department
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Malcolm Hunter, Ph.D.
Libra Professor of Conservation Biology
University of Maine
Amherst, Maine

John J. Hutchens, Jr., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina

R. L. Hutto, Ph.D.
Professor and Director
Avian Science Center
Missoula, Montana

Laura A. Hyatt, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Science
Rider University
Lawrence Township, New Jersey

Thomas F. Ihde, Ph.D.
Fisheries/ Ecosystem Modeler
Lusby, Maryland

Harry Itagaki, Ph.D.
Professor of Bioloogy
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Jerome A. Jackson, Ph.D.
Professor of Ecological Sciences
Florida Gulf Coast University
Ft. Myers, Florida

David P. Janos, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

Patrick Jantz, MESM
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Daniel H. Janzen, Ph.D.
Professor of Conservation Biology
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

David G. Jenkins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Wayne Jenkins,
Executive Director
Georgia Forest Watch
Ellijay, Georgia

Mitchell Johns, Ph.D.
Professor of Soil Science
California State University
Chico, California

Stephen Thor Johnson, MCP
Bullard Fellow
Harvard University
Petersham, Massachusetts

Gail F. Johnston, Ph.D.
Professor
Lindenwood University
St. Charles, Missouri

Jay Jones, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology and Biochemistry
University of La Verne
La Verne, California

Alan Journet, Ph.D.
ClimateWise Program Manager
Geos Institute
Ashland, Oregon

David Karowe, Ph.D.
Professor
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Jim Karr, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus
School of Aquatic and Fish Sciences University of Washington Seattle, Washington

Sterling C. Keeley, Ph.D.
Professor of Botany
University of Hawaii, Manoa
Honolulu, Hawaii

Bruce Kirchoff, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina

Amy R. Kireta, M.S.
Research Fellow
University of Minnesota, Duluth
Ely, Minnesota

R. Lawrence Klotz, Ph.D.
Distinguished Teaching Professor
State University of New York, Cortland
Cortland, New York

Jason A. Koontz, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Marni Koopman, Ph.D.
Climate Change Scientist
Geos Institute
Ashland, Oregon

Julie E. Korb, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Kenneth H. Kozak, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota

Andrew Kramer, Ph.D.
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Dana Krempels, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

Sunil Kumar, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Natural Resource Energy Lab
Fort Collins, Colorado

Erin Kuprewicz, Ph.D.
Washington, D.C.

John P. LaBonte, Ph.D.
Post-Doctoral Researcher
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Steve LaDochy, Ph.D.
Professor of Geography
California State Univ., Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

Rebecca S. Lamb, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio

John W. Lamperti, Ph.D.
Professor of Mathematics, Emeritus
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Rick Landenberger, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Ecological Society of America
Morgantown, West Virginia

Kim J. Landsbergen, Ph.D.
Carbon Ecology Consulting LLC
Columbus, Ohio

Marc Lapin, Ph.D.
Program in Environmental Studies, Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Eileen Larney, M.A., Ph.D. candidate
Chief Technical Advisor
Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, Stony Brook University
Washingtonville, New York

Beverly Law, Ph.D.
Professor, Global Change & Forest Science
ESA, AAAS, AGU, Aldo Leopold Fellow
Corvallis, Oregon

Mina Lebitz, M.S.
Brooklyn, New York

Paul A. Lefebvre, Ph.D.
Professor, Plant Biology
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota

Scott Lefler, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona

James M. Le Moine, M.S.
Research Laboratory Specialist
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Simon Levin, Ph.D.
Professor
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

J. D. Lewis, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

William Z. Lidicker, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Gene E. Likens, Ph.D.
Distinguished Senior Scientist
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Millbrook, New York

Jason A. Lillegraven, Ph.D.
Distinguished Emeritus Professor
The University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Joshua Linder, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Biological Anthropology
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Brian D. Linkhart, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado


Frank Logiudice, M.Sc.
Undergraduate Program Coordinator & Instructor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Rainer Lohmann, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Oceanography
University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, Rhode Island

Travis Longcore, Ph.D.
Associate Professor (Research)
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Thomas Lovejoy, Ph.D.
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Marvin M. F. Lutnesky, Ph.D.
Biology Professor and Chair
Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, New Mexico

Luis Malaret, Ph.D.
Professor
Community College of Rhode Island
Worcester, Massachusetts

Debora L. Mann, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi

James H. Marden, Ph.D.
Professor
Penn State University
University Park, Pennsylvania

Erika Marin-Spiotta, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Travis D. Marsico, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Curator
Arkansas State Univ., STAR Herbarium
State University, Arkansas

Janet Marsden, M.S., MPS
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

Michael Marsh, Ph.D.
Conservation Committee
Washington Native Plant Society
Seattle, Washington

Patrick Martin, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Christopher Marx, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

John M. Marzluff, Ph.D.
Professor of Wildlife Science
University of Washington
Seattle, Washington

Dale A. McCullough, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Comm.
Portland, Oregon

Carl N. McDaniel, Ph.D.
Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus
Oberlin College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.
Oberlin, Ohio

William H. McDowell, Ph.D.
Professor
University of New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire

Robert M. McElderry, M.S.
Doctoral Candidate
University of Miami
Miami, Florida

John McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Gary K. Meffe, Ph.D.
Consulting Editor
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Vicky J. Meretsky, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Indiana University
Bloomington, Indiana

Julie Messier, M.Sc.
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

George Middendorf, Ph.D.
Professor
Howard University
Washington, D.C.

Brian T. Miller, Ph.D.
Professor
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

G. Wayne Minshall, Ph.D.
Professor of Ecology (Emeritus)
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho

Kailen Mooney, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of California
Irvine, California

Vicki Moore, M.S.
Arizona State University
Tempe, Arizona

Toni Lyn Morelli, Ph.D.
U.C. Berkeley
Berkeley, California

John C. Morse, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Peter B. Moyle, Ph.D.
Professor
University California, Davis
Davis, California

Rob Mrowka, M.S.
Ecologist
Center for Biological Diversity
North Las Vegas, Nevada

John F. Mull, Ph.D.
Professor of Zoology
Weber State University
Ogden, Utah

Richard H. Munson, Ph.D.
Conservation Director
Audubon Miami Valley
Oxford, Ohio

K. Greg Murray, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Hope College
Holland, Michigan

Olin Eugene Myers Jr., Ph.D
Professor
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Philip Myers, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Dhruba Naug, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Charles R. Neal, B.S.
Ecologist
U.S. Dept. of Interior (ret.)
Cody, Wyoming

C. Riley Nelson, Ph.D.
Professor
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah

John C. Nemeth, Ph.D.
President
AAAS, UCS, Sigma XI
Christiansburg, Virginia

Julia Nerbonne, Ph.D.
Program Director
Higher Ed. Consortium for Urban Affairs
St. Paul, Minnesota

William D. Newmark, Ph.D.
Research Curator
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Gerald J. Niemi, Ph.D.
Professor
Natural Resources Research Institute
Duluth, Minnesota

Brandon L. Noel, Ph.D.
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, Arkansas

Theresa Nogeire,
University of California
Santa Barbara, California

Barry Noon, Ph.D. Professor Dept. of Fish, Wildlife, and
Conservation Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado

J. Cully Nordby, Ph.D.
Academic Director
UCLA Inst. of Environment & Sustainability
Los Angeles, California

Reed F. Noss, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Cassandra Nunez, Ph.D.
Associate Research Scholar
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Richard Nyhof, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Dennis C. Odion, Ph.D
Vegetation Ecologist
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, Oregon

Charles Olmsted, Ph.D
Professor Emeritus of Env. Studies
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, Colorado

Richard S. Ostfeld, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Millbrook, New York

Rebekah Outman, B.S.
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Miami
Miami, Florida

Michael S. Parker, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, Oregon

Harmony Patricio, MPA
Conservation Director
Santa Cruz, California

Dennis R. Paulson, Ph.D.
Director Emeritus
Slater Museum, Univ. of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

Gustav Paulay, Ph.D.
Curator / Professor
Florida Museum of Natural History
Gainesville, Florida

Megan Paustian, Ph.D.
Collection Manager
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Esther C. Peters, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Steven Phillips, Ph.D.
AT&T Labs-Research
Florham Park, New Jersey

J. Dan Pittillo, Ph.D.
Professor
Western Carolina University (ret.)
Sylva, North Carolina

Ralph Powell, Ph.D.
Faculty Emeritus
Eastern Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Roger A. Powell, Ph.D.
Prof. Emeritus of Biology
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Thomas Michael Power, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

Jessica Pratt, M.S.
Ecologist
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California

Ben Prater, MEM
Associate Director
Wild South
Asheville, North Carolina

Mary V. Price, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology, Emerita
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California

James J. Provenzano, C.Ph.
President
Clean Air Now
Los Angeles, California

Laura Prugh, Ph.D.
Univ. of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Robert Pyle, Ph.D.
Founder
Xerces Society
Gray's River, Washington

James A. Quinn, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Theodore K. Raab, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Stanford University
Palo Alto, California

John T. Ratti, Ph.D.
Professor (ret.)
University of Idaho
New Meadows, Idaho

Gordon Rausser, Ph.D.
Robert Sproul Distinguished Professor
Univ. of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Richard P. Reading, Ph.D.
Associate Research Professor
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado

J. Michael Reed, Ph.D.
Professor
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Jill Reid, M.S.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia

Michael Rentz
University of Minnesota
Duluth, Minnesota

Barbara C. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Professor
University of North Carolina, Asheville
Asheville, North Carolina

Tina Rhea, M.S.
Greenbelt, Maryland

Ann F. Rhoads, Ph.D.
Senior Botanist
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Fred M. Rhoades, Ph.D.
Instructor (ret.) & Research Associate
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Hedda Ribolow, Ph.D
Teaneck, New Jersey

Jennifer Riddell, Ph.D.
Science and Technology Policy Fellow
American Assn. for the Advancement of Science
Washington, D.C.

David W. Roberts, Ph.D.
Professor
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

Dina Roberts, Ph.D.
Conservation Scientist
International Boreal Conservation Campaign
Seattle, Washington

Bruce Robertson, Ph.D.
Postodoctoral Fellow
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
Washington, D.C.

George Robinson, Ph.D.
Professor
University at Albany, SUNY
Albany, New York

Sarah Rockwell, M.Sc.
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland

Donald Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
California State University Channel Islands
Camarillo, California

Javier Rodriquez, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

Gary W. Roemer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Garry F. Rogers, Ph.D.
President
Agua Fria Open Space Alliance, Inc.
Humboldt, Arizona

David Roland-Holst, Ph.D.
Professor
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California

Thomas Rooney, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Wright State University
Dayton, Ohio

Terry L. Root, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Woods Institute for the Environment
Stanford, California

Jon Rosales, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
St. Lawrence University
Canton, New York

Robert K. Rose, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Amy Y. Rossman, Ph.D.
Research Leader
USDA-ARS
Beltsville, Maryland

Donald S. Ross, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont

Eric Routman, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

Matthew Rubino
Conservation Biologist / GIS Analyst
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

Roger W. Ruess, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska

Sam Rushforth, Ph.D.
Dean of Science
Professional Ecologist
Orem, Utah

Ann Sakai, Ph.D.
Professor
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California

Nicanor Saliendra, Ph.D.
Forest Biometeorologist
American Geophysical Union
Catonsville, Maryland

Robin S. Salter, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Scott Samuels, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

Ira D. Sasowsky, Ph.D.
Professor, Geology and Env. Science
University of Akron
Akron, Ohio

Melissa Savage, Ph.D.
Professor Emerita
University of California, Los Angeles
Santa Fe, New Mexico

James A. Sawitzke, Ph.D.
Scientist
Frederick, Maryland

John O. Sawyer, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Botany
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Paul J Schaeffer, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Zoology, Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

Hanno Schaefer, Ph.D.
Harvard University
Watertown, Massachusetts

Joseph R. Schiller, Ph.D.
Professor
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, Tennessee

John W. Schoen, Ph.D.
Senior Science Advisor
Audubon Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

Kate Schoeneker, Ph.D.
Ecologist
USGS and Colorado State Univeristy
Fort Collins, Colorado

Courtney Schultz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Alison Seigel, Ph.D.
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Gerald Sgro, Ph.D.
Researcher
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Mark D. Shapley, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho

Kathleen L. Shea, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

Thomas W. Sherry, Ph.D.
Professor
American Ornithologists' Union, Ecological Society of America
New Orleans, Louisiana

Rebecca A. Sherry, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma

Marcia Shofner, Ph.D.
Assistant Director, Biological Sciences
University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland

Herman H. Shugart, Ph.D.
William W. Corcoran Professor
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia

Rodney B. Siegel, Ph.D.
Executive Director
The Institute for Bird Populations
Point Reyes Station, California

Derek Sikes, Ph.D.
Curator of Insects, Assoc. Prof. of Entomology
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska

Jack W. Sites, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor of Biology, Curator of Herpetology
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah

Isaac Skromne, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida


David L. Smith, Ph.D.
Assoc. Professor of Natural Systems Science
Le Moyne College
Syracuse, New York

Douglas Smith, Ph.D.
Professor
California State Univ., Monterey Bay
Seaside, California

Nicholas J. Smith-Sebasto, Ph.D.
Exec. Dir., Center for Sustainability Studies
Kean Unviersity
Union, New Jersey

Richard H. Smith, Ph.D., MBA
Research Director
Insight Inst. of Neurosurgery & Neuroscience
Flint, Michigan

Anthony Snider, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina

Mark T. Southerland, Ph.D.
Principal Ecologist
Versar, Inc.
Columbia, Maryland

John Sovell
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado

Wayne D. Spencer, Ph.D.
Senior Conservation Biologist
Conservation Biology Institute
San Diego, California

Timothy P. Spira, Ph.D.
Professor
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina

Peter B Stacey, Ph.D.
Research Professor
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Pamela Stanley, Ph.D.
Horace W. Goldsmith Professor
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
New York, New York

Robert S. Stelzer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Ecosystem Ecology
Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Hannah Stevens, M.A.
GIS Program Manager
New York Botanical Garden
Bronx, New York

Hank Stevens, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ecological Society of America
Oxford, Ohio

Glenn R. Stewart, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
California State Polytechnic University
Pomona, California

Christopher Still, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Geography
Univ. of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California

Guenther Stotzky, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
New York University
New York, New York

Richard R. Strathmann, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
University of Washington
Friday Harbor, Washington

John D. Styrsky, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biology
Lynchburg College
Lynchburg, Virginia

Susan M. Swensen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Ithaca, New York

Michael C. Swift, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
St. Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

Adam Switalski, M.S.
Science Program Director
Wildlands CPR
Missoula, Montana

Melanie Szulczewski, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

Robert Tafanelli, Ph.D.
New Mexico State University (ret.)
Las Cruces, New Mexico

Stephen Tettelbach, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Long Island University
Brookville, New York

Edward R. Thornton, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Paul F. Torrence, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor
Northern Arizona Unversity
Williams, Oregon

Pepper W. Trail, Ph.D.
Ashland, Oregon
V. Tripoli, Ph.D.
Ashland, Oregon

Stephen C. Trombulak, Ph.D.
Professor of Env. and Biosphere Studies
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Walter R. Tschinkel, Ph.D.
Professor
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Julie P. Tuttle, M.S.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Rob Tyser, Ph.D.
Professor
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
La Crosse, Wisconsin

Christopher A. Underwood, M.S.
University of Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee

Dean Urban, Ph.D.
Professor of Landscape Ecology
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Rick Van de Poll, Ph.D.
Society of Wetland Scientists
Sandwich, New Hampshire

Mike Vanderman, Ph.D.
San Ramon, California

David R. Vann, Ph.D.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadephia, Pennsylvania

S. K. Vitazkova, Ph.D.
Fairfax, Virginia

Robert O. Wagner, Ph.D.
Senior Ecologist
DeRidder, Louisiana

Nicole Wagner, Ph.D.
Bozeman, Montana

Robert B. Waide, Ph.D.
Executive Director
University of New Mexico LTER Network
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Greg Walker, Ph.D.
Professor
University of California, Riverside
Riverside, California

David O. Wallin, Ph.D.
Professor of Env. Sciences
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Donald M. Waller, Ph.D.
Professor, Botany and Env. Studies
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Richard T. Ward, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professor of Botany
Colorado State Univ. (ret.)
Fort Collins, Colorado

Gerald J. Wasserburg, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Geology & Geophysics
California Institute of Technology
Florence, Oregon

Michelle Waterman, M.S.
Sustainability Project Coordinator
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

Vicki Watson, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Studies
University of Montana
Missoula, Montana

Michael Webster, Ph.D.
Robert Engel Assoc. Professor of Ornithology
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

John D. Wehr, Ph.D.
Professor of Biological Sciences
Fordham University
Armonk, New York

Judith S. Weis, Ph.D.
Rutgers University
Newark, New Jersey

Allison Welch, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina

Hartwell H. Welsh, Jr., Ph.D.
USFS Pacific SW Research Station
Arcata, California

Eric Von Wettberg, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Florida International University
Miami, Florida

David F. Whitacre, Ph.D.
Treasure Valley Math and Science Center
Boise, Idaho

Edward A. Whitesell, Ph.D.
Member of the Faculty
Evergreen State College
Olympia, Washington

Sarah B. Whorley, M.Sc.
Fordham University
Bronx, New York

Sue Wick, Ph.D.
Professor of Plant Biology
University of MN
St. Paul, Minnesota

Norris H. Williams, Ph.D.
Curator
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Gene Willeke, Ph.D.
Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

Denise C. Wilson, M.Sc.
Int'l. Union for Conservation of Nature
Golden, Colorado

David Wilson, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida

W. Herbert Wilson, Jr., Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
Colby College
Waterville, Maryland

Shaye Wolf, Ph.D.
Kensington, California

Mark D. Womble, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, Ohio

Marianna D. Wood, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bruce Wright, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Conservation Science Institute
Palmer, Alaska

Steven Yanoff, M.S.
Ecologist
White Oaks, New Mexico

Charlotte B. Zampini, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Framingham State University
Framingham, Massachusetts

ATTACHMENT A: More Detailed Comments from Scientists

1. Require Forest Plans to Conform to Best Available Science

The proposed rule includes discretionary language regarding the application of science to decision making whereby responsible officials are directed to "take into account" (e.g., 36 CFR Part 219, p. 3) or "consider" (e.g., 36 CFR Part 219, p. 4) best available science. Absent clear direction, forest plans may not comport to best available science, particularly when pressures on responsible officials produce outcomes that may be inconsistent with best science or broader conservation interests. The Committee of Scientists (1999)1 recommended that "planning must be based on science and other knowledge of the world, including the use of scientifically based strategies for sustainability" (emphasis added). Additionally, science consistency reviews would aid responsible officials in ensuring that best science is used to address the impacts of stressors from incompatible multiple uses on wildlife viability, water quality, climate change vulnerability, landscape connectivity, and ecosystem protection and restoration.

The Forest Service should set the bar high on this standard and include a requirement that plans conform to best available science similar to the best available science requirement of the Endangered Species Act and other relevant statutes.2

2. Require Stronger Protections for Fish & Wildlife

The 1982 forest plan regulations required the Forest Service to maintain viable populations of native vertebrate species, and it stipulated that those populations be "well distributed in the planning area."3 In practice, this landmark requirement has instilled a science-based conservation rationale in agency decision making for decades, and it has focused agency attention on risks to local fish and wildlife populations. The draft planning rule departs from this longstanding commitment and presents an alternative approach that increases the risk of biodiversity loss. The final rule should:

A. Ensure that ecosystem management actually results in measurable species diversity outcomes. The proposal’s assertion that ecosystem diversity "will provide the ecological conditions for the long-term persistence of the vast majority of species within the plan area" and will maintain species diversity is spurious. As the Committee of Scientists (1999) stated: "Habitat alone cannot be used to predict wildlife populations" and "diversity is sustained only when individual species persist; the goals of ensuring viability and providing for diversity are inseparable." The proposal embraces a single proxy for estimating species diversity (habitat characteristics), one that has been roundly criticized in the scientific community. A rational fix would be to also employ the viability of focal species as a proxy measure to further validate coarse filter management actions at the species level. In the current proposal, focal species are not given a clear role in diversity planning and decision making.

B. Reduce risks to conservation concern. The risks to species diversity presented by the coarse filter are compounded by the proposal’s treatment of species of conservation concern. Protective plan components for these species are not required until the responsible official determines "there is evidence demonstrating significant concern about its capability to persist over the long-term in the plan area." This approach places the most vulnerable species at further risk by relinquishing the agency’s historical affirmative obligation to maintain viable populations and places that burden on sources outside of the agency. Given the weaknesses of the coarse filter, by the time a responsible official determines that there may be evidence of concern over a species’ persistence in the planning area, risks to consequential biodiversity loss could have greatly increased.

C. Strengthen the definition of a viable population. The proposed definition of a "viable population" may lead to management that poses considerable risks to species diversity and species of conservation concern. It could result in significant constrictions to a species’ range and even yield local extirpations. The new definition of viability replaces the standard of well-distributed populations with a vague concept that calls for a species to "persist over the long-term with sufficient distribution to be resilient and adaptable to stressors and likely future environments" (emphasis added). The ambiguity of the definition provides the agency with the discretion to determine what distribution is sufficient to meet the non-defined parameters of resilience and adaptability. The final rule should define population viability using acceptable scientific parameters (e.g., Noon et al. 2003, Noon et al. 2005, Noon et al. 2009).

D. Include formal mechanisms and standards for assessing and documenting the “inherent capability” of a forest. The proposed rule poses significant risks to biological diversity by premising protections on the "inherent capability of the land" to meet diversity requirements.
While it is reasonable that the agency can’t be held accountable for factors outside of their control, it is unacceptable to allow the agency to determine when and how to make these determinations. The final rule must prescribe a science-based approach for assessing and documenting when outside factors prevent them from conserving species.

3. Require Identification and Protection of Watersheds and Drinking Water Areas

While watersheds vary across national forests in many respects, years of scientific study and management experience point to four globally consistent principles central to all effective forest planning for water resources. The final rule should:

A. Require identification and protection of default Riparian Conservation Areas. Numerous scientific studies from national forests and grasslands across the United States have identified as a minimum default area the land and vegetation 100 feet or wider on each side of permanent and ephemeral water bodies—streams, rivers, floodplains, lakes, wetlands, and estuaries—as proposed in Alternative D in the 2011 DEIS (e.g., Gregory et al. 1991, Castelle et al. 1994, Spence et al. 1995, Palone and Todd 1997, Fisher and Fischenich 2000, Wissmar 2004, Mayer et al. 2005, Reeves et al. 2006). These important buffer areas control natural hydrologic processes, protect human infrastructure outside them and key wildlife habitat within them, and protect waters from delivery of sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants. The rule should clearly allow only management activities in Riparian Conservation Areas that maintain and restore this suite of natural functions and values.

B. Require the designation of a well-distributed, connected network of the highest-value Key Watersheds in each forest. This network should include watersheds that play an important role in community water supply (e.g., surface water supply areas) and the conservation of imperiled species (e.g., Sedell et al. 1990, FEMAT 1993, Frissell and Bayles 1996, DellaSala et al. in press). Within Key Watersheds, clear management direction should allow only those activities necessary to maintain and restore natural values and functions, including addressing point and non-point pollution sources (particularly roads and livestock grazing) in streams designated as "water quality limited" under § 303(d) of the Clean Water Act.

C. Mandate the removal and remediation of forest roads as the top active restoration priority throughout the National Forest System, with special emphasis in Key Watersheds and Riparian Conservation Areas. Forest roads are the most pervasive and treatable cause of harm to aquatic resources (Trombulak and Frissell 2000, Gucinski et al. 2001).

D. Require adoption of measurable, enforceable standards for water and watershed protection. Measurable standards—physical, chemical, and biological—are necessary due to the complex, cumulative, and often uncertain relationships among specific human practices and natural causes of harm or of recovery (Montgomery 1995). Such standards are common in other environmental regulatory areas, like controlling water pollution, and ultimately facilitate adaptive management and collaborative decision making by providing directions, goals, sideboards, and certainty for later decisions (Nie 2010). Monitoring should tie aquatic biodiversity indicators to specific management activities in order to limit impacts from multiple uses (Karr and Chu 1999).

4. Require Protection of Late Successional and Old-growth Forests
Old forests have declined to a fraction of their original extent and have been highly fragmented by roads, clearcuts, and development (Heilman et al. 2003). The draft planning rule includes provisions for "harvesting of trees on land not suitable for timber production" (§219.11(3)), but it does not do so in a manner that would conserve old forests. Old forests support high levels of fish and wildlife diversity, are essential to maintenance of hydrological processes, and perform many other ecosystem services that have been reduced or are absent from intensively managed forests (Lindenmayer and Franklin 2002, Strittholt et al. 2006, DellaSala 2011). In particular, carbon stored in coastal rainforests in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska has been recognized as being globally significant (Smithwick et al. 2002, Luyssaert et al. 2008). While the draft planning rule requires monitoring carbon stored in above-ground vegetation (§ 219.12(4)(vi)), forest plans are not required to maintain carbon-dense ecosystems. We urge the Forest Service to include a standard for not only monitoring but also protecting ecosystems with significant carbon stores by removing them from the available timber base.

 


1 The Committee of Scientists was named by the Secretary of Agriculture on December 11, 1997, to provide technical and scientific advice on land and resource planning on the national forest and grasslands.
2 The ESA is one of several federal statutes, including the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1361-1431 (2000) and the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation & Management Act, 16 U.S.C. §§ 1801-1883 (2000), that requires federal agencies to use the best scientific and commercial data available when making decisions. The Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251-1387) includes requirements to "restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters."
3 The 1982 regulations can be found online at http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nfma/includes/nfmareg.html.

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