219.7—Plan decisions.
Plan decisions guide or limit uses of National Forest System resources and provide the basis for future agency action. Plan decisions link the requirements of laws, regulations, Executive Orders, policies, and the Forest Service national strategic plan to specific national forests and grasslands. While plan decisions generally do not commit resources to a site-specific action, plan decisions provide a framework for authorizing site-specific actions that may commit resources. In making decisions, the responsible official should seek to manage National Forest System resources in a combination that best serves the public interest without impairment of the productivity of the land consistent with the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960. Plan decisions may apply to all or part of a plan area. Paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section describe the decisions in a plan.
(a) Desired resource conditions.
These plan decisions define the resource conditions sought within all or portions of the plan area. Desired resource conditions may include, but are not limited to, the desired watershed and ecological conditions and aquatic and terrestrial habitat characteristics.
(b) Objectives.
These plan decisions are concise statements describing measurable results intended to contribute to sustainability ( § 219.19 ), including a desired level of uses, values, products, and services, assuming current or likely budgets and considering other spending levels as appropriate. Objectives include an estimate of the time and resources needed for their completion.
(c) Standards.
These plan decisions are the requirements and limitations for land uses and management actions necessary for the achievement of desired conditions and objectives and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, Executive Orders, and policies. Standards include, but are not limited to:
(3)
Methods for achieving aesthetic objectives by blending the boundaries of vegetation treatments; and
(d) Designation of suitable land uses.
These plan decisions identify lands within the National Forest System that are or are not suitable for specific uses ( § 219.26 ), including, but not limited to: the transportation system; livestock grazing; special designations as described in § 219.27; and lands where timber production is an objective ( § 219.28 ).
(e) Monitoring strategy.
A monitoring strategy is required by each plan as described in § 219.11(a).