IMPLEMENTATION

The role of the Comprehensive Plan for the NPNHT in agency land and resource management 

is to serve as a coordinating document which provides broad-based policy, guidelines, and 

standard for establishing and managing the NPNHT over time and in such a manner as to 

insure its continued utility as a high quality national recreation facility.

In this regard, the policies, guidelines, and standard presented in the Plan are to be integrated 

into the appropriate parts of Federal and State agency land management plans. 

The Forest Service, as the lead agency, is responsible for taking actions which relate to overall 

administration of the trail and management of trail segments located in the National Forests. 

Other Federal, State, local and private interests must assume responsibility for taking those 

actions which relate to development and management of the trail on land under their 

jurisdiction.

FOREST SERVICE ACTION

The availability of this Comprehensive Plan, with the related maps describing the Nez Perce 

National Historic Trail, will be published in the Federal Register as required in Section 7 (a) of 

the NTS Act.

Upon approval of the Comprehensive Plan, initiate trail certification for those segments which 

lie outside the high potential route segments identified in the Decision Notice of 1985. 

Prepare for publication and distribution a brochure about the NPNHT showing the general 

route of the trail; portions currently available for public use; and associated historic, cultural, 

scenic, and recreational features. The purpose of the brochure would be twofold:

• Meet the existing demand for information about the NPNHT.

• Generate involvement by the public and private interests in developing and managing 

the trail.

Execute memorandums of agreement between the USDA Forest Service and other cooperating 

land management authorities to refine responsibilities such as planning, implementation, 

marking, and management of the non-Federal trail segments.

Register the official NPNHT logo with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and arrange for 

production of a sufficient quantity of trail markers to meet present need.

Maintain accurate map record of the official route of the NPNHT and publish notices of new 

segments or changes in existing segments in the Federal Register.

OTHER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES ACTION

Upon development, each managing authority should furnish detailed maps and other 

information about each segment to the Regional Forester, Northern Region, USDA Forest 
Service, so that official record of the trail route, development, and interpretation can be 

established.

Managing authorities responsible for other trail segments that may be eligible for certification 

to the Nez Perce National Historic Trail should apply to the USDA Forest Service for approval.

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT (NEPA) REQUIREMENTS

The Advisory Council met on May 9, 10, and 11, 1989, in Missoula, Montana; November 3 and 

4, 1989, in Lewiston, Idaho; and June 15 and 16, 1990, in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. 

These meetings were published in the Federal Register and were open to the public. No new 

issues or concerns were identified during the development of the Comprehensive Plan that 

were within the authority of the council or managing agencies to address. The Comprehensive 

Plan was developed with the guidelines given in the Study Report of 1982 and as modified by 

the Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice of 1985. 

Each agency developing a segment of the NPNHT is responsible for historic preservation and 

additional NEPA requirements. The NEPA requirements will be implemented as a tiering 

action from:

• Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) Trail-Study Report of March 1982.

• Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) Trail-Decision Notice and Environmental Assessment

 of July 1985. 

• The Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail Comprehensive Plan of

 1990. 

• National Forest Plans and other Agency planning documents.

Under this concept, individual Federal and State agency unit managers are encouraged to tier 

and incorporate by reference information from the above documents into their environmental 

assessments regarding the specific location, development, and marking of segments of the 

NPNHT in order to eliminate repetitive discussions.