219.12—Collaboration and cooperatively developed landscape goals.
(a) Collaboration.
To promote sustainability, the responsible official must actively engage the American public, interested organizations, private landowners, state, local, and Tribal governments, federal agencies, and others in the stewardship of National Forest System lands. To engage people in the stewardship of National Forest System lands, the responsible official may assume many roles, such as leader, organizer, facilitator, or participant. The responsible official must provide early and frequent opportunities for people to participate openly and meaningfully in planning taking into account the diverse roles, jurisdictions, and responsibilities of interested and affected organizations, groups, and individuals. The responsible official has the discretion to determine how to provide these opportunities in the planning process.
(b) Cooperatively developed landscape goals.
(1)
The responsible official and other Forest Service employees involved in planning must invite and encourage others to engage in the collaborative development of landscape goals. Using information from broad-scale assessments or other available information, and subject to applicable laws, the responsible official may initiate or join ongoing collaborative efforts to develop or propose landscape goals for areas that include National Forest System lands.
(2)
During collaborative efforts, responsible officials and other Forest Service employees, must communicate and foster understanding of the nation's declaration of environmental policy as set forth in section 101(b) of the National Environmental Policy Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321-434 7), which states that it is the continuing responsibility of the Federal Government to use all practicable means, consistent with other essential considerations of national policy, to improve and coordinate federal plans, functions, programs, and resources to the end that the Nation may—
(i)
Fulfill the responsibilities of each generation as trustee of the environment for succeeding generations;
(ii)
Assure for all Americans safe, healthful, productive, and esthetically and culturally pleasing surroundings;
(iii)
Attain the widest range of beneficial uses of the environment without degradation, risk to health or safety, or other undesirable and unintended consequences;
(iv)
Preserve important historic, cultural, and natural aspects of our national heritage, and maintain, wherever possible, an environment which supports diversity, and variety of individual choice;
(v)
Achieve a balance between population and resource use which will permit high standards of living and a wide sharing of life's amenities; and
(vi)
Enhance the quality of renewable resources and approach the maximum attainable recycling of depletable resources.
(3)
Cooperatively developed landscape goals, whether the result of efforts initiated by the Forest Service or others, must be deemed an issue for the purposes under § 219.4.