ALERT Proposed Land Management Plans

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The process described below will determine how the Kootenai & Idaho Panhandle National Forests will look in years to come. If you can attend any of these meetings please do. The first one locally is TONIGHT in Spokane from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Spokane Community College on 1810 N. Greene St. in Spokane (Mission and Greene Freya exit), Contact: Dave OBrien at [phone] or Brad Gilberg at [phone]

Thanks,

Lori Jordan
PANTRA

More info:

The Proposed Land Management Plans (LMPs) for the Kootenai National Forest and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest are now available. The Plan or Plans that you requested are enclosed.

If you receive a CD, please note that the index displays how the Plan is organized but it is not a clickable index.

These Plans describe our proposed framework for guiding on-the-ground projects and activities. While these Plans do not make any site-specific decisions, such as which roads would be open or closed to motorized use, they will influence which kinds of projects and activities will be considered in the future. The Plans include maps that display areas of general management emphasis called management areas. Additional maps and supporting documentation, such as the Comprehensive Evaluation Report and the Analysis of Management Situation, can also be found on our web site www.fs.fed.us/kipz.

We encourage your comments on all aspects of each Plan. The accompanying document titled “Guidelines for Providing Effective Comments” will help you focus your review and comments. While all comments will be reviewed, the ones we will consider at this time are those that focus directly on the Proposed Plans. We will not consider comments relating to laws, policies or other matters that are beyond our planning authority. Comments on site-specific decisions are also beyond our planning authority.

You have 90 days, May 12th through August 10th, to submit comments. The addresses for submitting comments are found in the enclosed “Guidelines for Providing Effective Comments.”

Final Land Management Plans will be shared with the public after consideration of comments and changes are made. The opportunity to object to a Final Plan will be during a 30-day objection period before Plan approval. Only individuals or organizations who participated in the planning process through the submission of written comments may object to a Plan.

We are hosting public meetings during the comment period to help you understand the Proposed Plans (see list of dates, times and locations at the end of this letter). In addition, these meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss whether the group wants to continue to meet to discuss comments to the Plan and answer questions about Plan issues.

The information we have received over the last several years from members of the general public, from participants in local community workgroups, from other governments and agencies, and from our own employees has played a major role in shaping these Proposed Plans. The comments you provide us over the next few months will play an equally important role in refining the Proposed Plans.

The new 2005 planning regulations have resulted in a different format for Land Management Plans than what has been used in the past. The Introduction to the Plan describes how the Plan components work together to provide a guiding framework for program planning and project-level decisions. We strongly encourage you to carefully read the Introduction to better understand the Plan components.

And finally, our sincerest thanks for your time and effort to help us develop the best possible Land Management Plans for the Kootenai and Idaho Panhandle National Forests. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jodi Kramer at [phone], Kirsten Kaiser at [phone] or one of us.

Sincerely,
RANOTTA K. MCNAIR
Forest Supervisor, Idaho Panhandle NFs
BOB CASTANEDA
Forest Supervisor, Kootenai NF

Meeting Schedule:
• May 15th, 7:00-9:00 pm: Bonners Ferry, ID – Boundary County Extension Office, Contact: Mike Herrin at [phone].

• May 16th, 6:00-8:00 pm: Troy, MT – Troy High School Auditorium, Contact: Acting District Ranger Doug Grupenhoff at [phone].

• May 17th, 6:30-8:30 pm: Spokane, WA – Spokane Community College on 1810 N. Greene St. in Spokane (Mission and Greene Freya exit), Contact: Dave OBrien at [phone] or Brad Gilberg at [phone].

• May 17th, 6:00-8:00 pm: Yaak, MT – Upper Yaak Work Center, Contact: Doug Grupenhoff at [phone].

• May 18th, 7:00-9:00 pm: St. Maries, ID – Elks Club, Contact: Chuck Marks at [phone].

• May 22nd, 7:00-9:00 pm: Trout Creek, MT - Trout Creek Ranger District Office, Contact: Julie Molzahn at [phone].

• May 23rd, 6:30-8:30 pm: Sandpoint, ID - Sandpoint Ranger District Office, Contact: Dick Kramer at [phone].

• May 24th, 7:00-9:00 pm: Eureka, MT - Lincoln County High School in Eureka, Contact: Glen McNitt at [phone] or Betty Holder at [phone].

• May 24th, 6:00-8:00 pm: Priest Lake, ID – Inn at Priest Lake, Contact: Kathy Murphy at [phone].

• May 25th, 6:00-8:00 pm: Coeur d’Alene, ID – Idaho Panhandle Forest Supervisor’s Office on 3815 Schreiber Way in Coeur d’Alene, Contact: Randy Swick at [phone] or Linda McFaddan at [phone].

• May 25th, 6:30-8:30 pm: Libby, MT – Kootenai Forest Supervisors Office, Contact: Malcolm Edwards at [phone].