Submit your blue mountain forest planning comments today
- Greater Hells Canyon Council
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
If you hike, hunt, fish, forage, or camp on public lands in the Blue Mountains, it’s time for you to get involved!
We’re currently in the first official comment period of the Forest Service process to update the management plans for the Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla, and Malheur National Forests. This phase, called “scoping”, can be a little misleading – even though we are still somewhat early in the process, only the issues that are raised now will have a shot at being meaningfully considered.
There’s currently a "preliminary draft plan" that gives us some ideas about what the Forest Service wants to prioritize (logging, grazing) and what it wants to deprioritize (fish and wildlife, old growth forests). Whatever makes it into the new forest plans will be the law of the land for the next several decades, so it’s critical that the agency hears from the public (you!) about what issues you care about.
Comments are due by 11:59pm on Monday, October 6th. Here are some issues to consider mentioning in your comments:
Strong and enforceable standards (not just guidelines) for the ecological parts of the plan. This includes creating strong standards for habitat connectivity across the forests, as well as for special habitats like aquatic ecosystems, aspen groves, and grasslands.
Retaining the Eastside Screens, which provide protections for mature and old growth trees. The current draft plan erases any significant protections for big trees (trees that are greater than 21” diameter at breast height).
Retaining existing management areas for old growth forests and backcountry recreation. These exist in the current forest plans but were pulled out of the new version, presumably to open up more acres for logging.
Creating standards and a new management area for fish and wildlife habitat connectivity. These three National Forests make up a connectivity corridor of continental importance, and the new plans should provide long-term security for fish and wildlife movement across the Blues.
Protections for roadless areas regardless of the future of the Roadless Rule. Roadless areas may lose national protection if the Roadless Rule is rescinded, but individual National Forests can still protect them in forest plans if they so choose. New forest plans should provide protections for these last undeveloped lands.
Why is this important?
Forest plans are the rulebook for how the Forest Service will treat these forests over the next 30+ years, so we can’t give up our power by ignoring it. Getting strong and enforceable language protecting habitat connectivity, roadless lands, and mature and old forests will have a real impact on the ground. It will give us the backstop we need as advocates. Without firm standards there will be no way to hold the Forest Service accountable for managing our lands for anything other than extractive interests.
Where can I learn more?
Main forest planning homepage - click the long “Preliminary Draft Proposed…” plan link at the top to see the draft plan
The comment portal for submitting public comments is here, you can also submit your comment as an attachment to an email to: sm.fs.bluesforests@usda.gov
If the portal stops working due to government shutdown or other issues, submit your comment via email or mail to Umatilla National Forest Supervisor's Office, Attn: Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision, 72510 Coyote Road, Pendleton, OR 97801
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