Forest Service

The Forest Service must manage its lands for multiple purposes, including timber, livestock forage, recreation, fish and wildlife, wilderness, and water supply. To meet its legislative mandate, the Forest Service uses a decisionmaking process that includes developing management plans for forests or for groups of small, adjacent forests and reaching project-level decisions for implementing these plans for such activities as timber harvests, livestock grazing, recreational development, and habitat improvement. Some project decisions are challenged through the agency's administrative appeal process and the federal courts by parties seeking to delay or stop a project with which they disagree. Critics argue that the Forest Service could cut costs and increase the efficiency of its decisionmaking process and improve its service to the public while still meeting its basic legislative mandate. This testimony discusses (1) issues related to developing forest plans and reaching project-level decisions and (2) actions taken or proposed to address these matters.