Community engagement in the decisionmaking process for public land management in Northeastern California [Chapter 5.4]

Abstract

Revisions to forest plans, as directed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 2012 Planning Rule, has appreciable focus directed toward management of National Forest System lands so that they are ecologically sustainable and contribute to social and economic sustainability (see Chapter 1.1, Dumroese, this synthesis, The Northeastern California Plateaus Bioregion Science Synthesis: Background, Rationale, and Scope; and Chapter 5.1, Flores, this synthesis, An Introduction to Social, Economic, and Ecological Factors in Natural Resource Management of Northeastern California Public Lands). This social component requires involving the community throughout the forest plan revision process to determine opportunities for continued community engagement in the management of their local national forests, as is the case for the Lassen and Modoc National Forests. Scientific peer-reviewed literature on community engagement specific to the area around the Lassen and Modoc National Forests is limited. Thus, this chapter takes a more general approach to the literature by first exploring community engagement and surveying how local decisions are made across different aspects of ecosystem services, including water, timber, biomass, recreation, and other uses. Second, we explore the social, cultural, and economic nonmarket values local residents and visitors attribute to forests. Third, we explore how land management agencies address the inter-relatedness of landscapes, people, and management actions, including how habitat improvement and forest restoration projects have been conducted through local partnerships. Finally, we explore examples of community collaborations and best practices, especially those surrounding fire management. Where possible, we include scientific literature that directly relates to the Lassen and Modoc National Forests. This chapter is driven by the following question asked by stakeholders in the area surrounding the Lassen and Modoc National Forests (hereafter the Lassen, the Modoc, or the Lassen-Modoc).

Parent Publication

• Northeastern California plateaus bioregion science synthesis

Citation

Flores, David; Stone, Leah. 2020. Community engagement in the decisionmaking process for public land management in Northeastern California [Chapter 5.4]. In: Dumroese, R. K.; Moser, W. K., eds. Northeastern California plateaus bioregion science synthesis. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-409. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 162-176.