JACKSON, Wyo. — The process is beginning to revise the Bridger-Teton National Forest’s (BTNF) Forest Plan after over 30 years. On Jan. 16, the Forest Plan Symposium brought together a panel of non-forest service individuals to answer questions about how the public can maximize involvement in the BTNF Forest Plan, particularly in the early assessment phase.
The last Forest Plan for the BTNF was published in 1990. Dr. Melanie Armstrong, director of the Ruckelshaus Institute at the University of Wyoming who mediated the Symposium, said that a lot has changed in the past 30 years that warrants a revision of the Forest’s guiding principles. A major shift has come from the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) adoption of a new National Forest System land management planning rule; the 2012 guidance
According to Armstrong, a Forest Plan sets the overall management direction and provides a foundation for every decision made on the Forest, such as which areas are suitable for certain uses and activities.
Panelist James Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, emphasized that everyone should feel driven to have a voice about the new Plan.
“We often talk about ‘the public,'” Magagna said. “There are many ‘publics’ who have an interest in the management of the forest.”
Magagna mentioned in particular those with local, recreational, economic, resource and national perspectives.
According to Magagna, the best time to become engaged with the USFS is during the assessment process. Identifying what individuals want to see maintained is critical knowledge for the BTNF to have as early as possible.
“Having a sense of what’s important to you is profoundly important for the forest service to do its job,” Adam Cramer, founding executive director and CEO of the Outdoor Alliance, agreed.
Cramer highlights the need for those who want to participate in the assessment process to develop an understanding of which elements of the BTNF are most important, and why. Cramer says understanding the ‘why’ is the cornerstone of moving forward with patience and empathy for what other people might want.
Panelist Clancy Jandreau, water steward at Blackfoot Challenge who was involved in the Custer-Gallatin National Forest planning effort as a student in Montana, echoes the idea that productive participation hinges on an open mindset. He said at the Symposium that participants often assume if an opposing party gets something they want, it’s a loss for their own family or community values and experiences. He suggests focusing on the process more than the outcome, building trust and dialogue with others who are showing up.
This might be finding a space in legal and policy frameworks where common ground can be sought, as Panelist Dr. Martin Nie, professor of Natural Resources Policy and director of the Bolle Center for People and Forests at the University of Montana, advises. It could also be coming to terms with the fact that the BTNF is not just meaningful for locals but for the increasing numbers of tourists and travelers developing a relationship with the national forest, as Magagna stresses.
Magagna encourages all individuals to reach out to the BTNF about concerns, what’s been working or not working to meet personal needs and what potential changes could be harmful to personal interests.
As Cramer says, “the world is ruled by those who show up, so you’ve got to show up.”
