Open Space Benefits

•	 Clean air and water.

•	 Water supplies.

•	 Natural flood control.

•	 Food.

•	 Timber, forage, and other products.

•	 Wildlife habitat and corridors.

•	 Endangered species recovery.

•	 Climate regulation.

•	 Scenic beauty.

•	 Recreation opportunities and access.

•	 Improved human health.

•	 Opportunities to connect youth with nature.

•	 Increased property values.

—Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy

For further information, contact

Susan Stein

Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry Staff

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mailstop 1123

Washington, DC 20250–1123

202–205–0837

sstein@fs.fed.us

http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

Front cover photo credits: wildflowers—National Forest Foundation, Lake Tahoe—http://www.thinkstockphotos.com, meeting—

Forest Service, housing development—http://www.thinkstockphotos.com, men with map—Kathryn Conant, Forest Service. 

Back cover photo credit: National Park Service.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com

“We have a wealth of expertise and experience to share with local 

communities that are striving to conserve natural resources while 

planning for future growth. By working in partnership with local 

communities, the Forest Service can further assist our communities 

to make critical contributions to the conservation of open space 

across the landscape.”

—Thomas L. Tidwell, Chief of the USDA Forest Service
Across the Green Line:

How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land 

Use Planning Efforts

Compiled and edited by

Mary A. Carr1

Susan M. Stein2

In support of the Open Space Conservation Strategy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

Abstract

This desk guide is intended primarily for forest supervisors, district rangers, and other employees of the Forest Service, U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, who need or wish to participate in planning and open space activities in their local community 

or geographic region. Our goal is to help demystify the planning process and to outline ways that Forest Service employees 

can, in coordination with line officers, engage effectively and respectfully in locally led land use planning decisions related 

to housing development. Included in this guide is a brief overview of legal and regulatory authorities associated with participation in community development planning, a review of basic planning steps in which Forest Service employees can (and 

cannot) provide valuable assistance, and tips on ways to participate successfully. Also included are case studies, selected 

references and resources, checklists, and a discussion guide.

Suggested citation: Carr, M.; Stein, S., eds. 2014. Across the green line: how Forest Service employees can help support 

local land use planning efforts. FS-1021. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 36 p.

1

 Mary A. Carr is a technical publications editor, Forest Service, Publishing Arts, Olympia, WA.

2

 Susan M. Stein provides leadership for the Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy, Washington, DC.

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts
ii

CONTENTS

1. Setting the Stage........................................................................................1

2. Can I Get Involved? ...................................................................................5

Anchor Points......................................................................................6

Ethical Considerations.......................................................................6

3. Where Do I Fit In?......................................................................................9

Steps and Pathways .........................................................................10

Government Structures and Planning Processes.........................11

4. How Can I Make a Difference? ...............................................................13

Laying the Foundation for Dialogue...............................................14

Finding Time and Funds ..................................................................15

5. Wrapping It Up.........................................................................................19

6. What Works? What Doesn’t?..................................................................21

Case Study 1. A California Horse Trail Tale: Win-Win Can Work ..21

Case Study 2. Be Right About Roads and Your Rights-of-Way ...22

Case Study 3. A Small Island in the Great Plains: Working 

Together in the Black Hills .....................................23

Case Study 4. Putting in the Time: Making and Taking 

Opportunities To Get Involved ...............................24

Case Study 5. Planning Partnerships for a Wild and Scenic 

River: Skagit Watershed Council ...........................25

7. References and Resources......................................................................26

Selected References..........................................................................26

Other Resources................................................................................28

Appendix A. Checklists..................................................................................31

Checklist 1. Working With Local Governments and Organizations ..31

Checklist 2. Let’s Make It Happen: More Ideas for Action.................32

Appendix B. Scenarios: Discussion Guide ...................................................33

Acknowledgments ..........................................................................................36
1

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

1 SETTING THE STAGE

Why Participate in Local Land Use Planning?

Open space. The term conjures a spectrum of vivid 

images from rich and beautiful forests 

and grasslands, to bucolic farms and 

ranches, to lush wetlands and streams, to 

refreshing and rejuvenating urban parks 

and greenways.

Open space is all those and more—land 

that is valued for natural processes; fish 

and wildlife habitats; agricultural and 

forest production; aesthetic beauty; recreation; natural-resource-based jobs; and 

other invaluable ecological, social, and 

economic benefits, collectively known as 

“ecosystem services.”

The Forest Service, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture (USDA), recognizes the vital 

need to conserve and protect open spaces 

across the landscape to help protect water 

quality, conserve native wildlife, and 

provide renewable timber and nontimber 

products, as well as places of scenic beauty 

and recreation opportunity. The agency 

has developed a comprehensive Open 

Space Conservation Strategy (USDA 

Forest Service 2007a) that embraces the 

idea of public-private partnerships to sustain open space across the “green line”—

the jurisdictional boundary separating a 

national forest or grassland from surrounding lands.

Why is such a strategy needed? Across 

the United States, open space is being 

rapidly developed or adversely affected as 

more people choose to live at the urban 

fringe and in scenic rural areas. Nationwide, 

more than 57 million acres of private rural 

forests are expected to undergo a substantial increase in housing density between 

2000 and 2030 (Stein et al. 2009). Millions of these acres are located within 10 

miles of the boundaries of national forests 

and grasslands (Stein et al. 2007).

Depending on where and how development occurs, new homes and associated 

roads and activities can affect wildlife 

and fish habitats, alter the movement and 

diversity of wildlife populations, introduce or spread invasive plant species, 

pollute water and air, induce flooding and 

erosion, change how and where people 

recreate on public lands, and increase 

the potential for harm to people and their 

property from wildfire.

The green line is the jurisdictional boundary separating a 

national forest or grassland 

from surrounding lands.

Don Virgovic

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
2

Such unintended consequences from 

urbanization can hinder the ability of 

the Forest Service to manage lands and 

resources entrusted to its administrative 

care, as well as the agency’s capacity to 

help communities sustainably manage 

their lands.

It doesn’t have to be this way. National 

forests and their neighboring communities 

often share common goals and desires for 

the land and its resources, despite differing missions and demands. Community 

development can be achieved in ways 

that consider the values of open space 

while enhancing community quality of 

life and economic vitality. Local land use 

planning decisions are a critical element 

in the protection and maintenance of 

biodiversity and other benefits of open 

space across the landscape.

Through active participation and fruitful 

dialogue with local and regional groups 

when communities embark on desired 

growth and development, you, as a Forest 

Service employee with the guidance 

and support of your supervisor, can help 

inform local land use decisions outside 

National Forest System (NFS) boundaries 

while building and nurturing valuable 

relationships for future collaborations.

Forest Service Open Space Goals

The agency’s Open Space Conservation Strategy aims to sustain the environmental, 

social, and economic benefits of forests and grasslands across the landscape by—

•	 Protecting the most ecologically and socially important lands;

•	 Conserving working lands as sustainable forests and grasslands;

•	 Expanding and connecting open spaces in cities, suburbs, and towns; and

•	 Reducing the potential ecological impacts and risks of development.

—Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy (USDA Forest Service 2007a)

Being involved at the town 

level is critical to the way the 

forest is managed.

—Forest Planner Stacy Lemieux, 

White Mountain National Forest

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
3

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

You Asked For It

Among the Forest Service Open Space 

Conservation Strategy’s 13 supporting 

actions is a call to increase Forest Service support for conservation planning 

in local communities. To determine how 

best to provide such support, we conducted a survey of forest planners and 

district rangers in 2010 (Lesch 2010). 

We geared survey questions to increase 

our understanding of how employees 

are currently engaging in local planning 

discussions and how such engagement 

could be strengthened.

Survey results suggest that participation 

in local planning discussions is already a 

vibrant part of the Forest Service culture 

in many places across the country. 

Nevertheless, nearly all respondents 

(97 percent) identified skills, tools, and 

strategies that could be helpful in improving their participation in local planning 

discussions, including the following—

•	 Clearer prioritization and staff assignments to increase opportunities 

for community outreach,

•	 Instruction in how to effectively build

and nurture partnerships,

•	 Help in learning the local planning

and legal framework, and

•	 Help in understanding how the

Forest Service can participate in 

local planning discussions without 

stepping on toes.

This publication takes a step in delivering what was asked for by outlining 

how, where, and when you can help 

support local land use planning efforts 

as part of your official duties and by 

providing resources for further details 

and training.

To read the full report, visit the Open 

Space Strategy Web site at http://

www.fs.fed.us/openspace/national_

strategy.html.

Working together across the green line 

is neither new policy nor new direction. 

Many Forest Service units and employees 

have already shown the way for making 

positive contributions to local planning 

decisions—by regularly providing data, 

technical assistance, analysis, expert advice, and recommendations to community 

planners and developers. The scientific 

and management experience, perspective, 

and expertise of Forest Service employees 

have always represented a tremendous 

resource for local communities. This 

knowledge base can be shared in ways 

that do not overstep legal or regulatory 

authorities or impose on rights.

Engaging in local land use planning can 

be complex and challenging for Federal 

employees. Many employees are unfamiliar with local planning processes and/or 

unsure of their proper role. Furthermore, 

a lot of other agency work needs to be 

done, with little time or funds to do it all. 

A challenge for line officers is to find the 

right local balance and guide employees 

to a level and type of participation that is 

both helpful to the community and also 

within budget and in line with agency 

goals and needs.

This desk guide is intended primarily for 

Forest Service employees like you, such 

as forest supervisors, district rangers, and 

other employees who need or wish to 

participate in planning activities in their 

local community or geographic region. 

Our goal is to help to demystify the 

planning process and outline ways that 

you can, in coordination with line officers, engage effectively and respectfully 

in locally led land-use planning efforts 

related to housing development and open 

space. Everyone with an interest in open 

space conservation should find the tools 

and discussions here to be informative 

and helpful.

Working together across the 

green line is neither new policy 

nor new direction.
4

Included in this guide is a brief overview 

of legal and regulatory authorities associated with participation in community 

development planning, a review of basic 

planning steps in which Forest Service 

employees can (and cannot) provide 

valuable assistance, and tips on effective 

communication styles. Scenarios pose 

hypothetical situations that illustrate 

chapter topics; case studies highlight key 

features or success stories. Selected references and resources are offered as starting 

points for seeking more information and 

assistance. Appendixes provide sample 

checklists and a discussion guide to examine possible responses to the questions 

posed in the scenarios.

This booklet is also intended to be a dynamic document, in that your experiences, 

stories, and feedback will enhance our 

collective ability to protect and conserve 

America’s open spaces. Please share your 

thoughts at the Forest Service Open Space 

Web site, http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/, 

or send an email to openspace@fs.fed.us. 

You can help build a library of approaches and results that can help us all continue 

to learn and work effectively for open 

space conservation nationwide.

Find Out More About Open Space Conservation

Open Space Conservation Strategy—http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/national_

strategy.html.

Forests on the Edge—http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/fote/index.html.

For full citations and additional references and resources, see chapter 7.

Why Should I Get Involved?

“If you don’t comment on or participate 

in local planning proposals, then you 

can’t complain about the results.”

—District Ranger Jay Pence, Teton 

Basin Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee 

National Forest, Open Space Webinar 

presentation, Session 2, May 2012.

Participation in local land use planning activities supports the Forest

Service mission and goals.

•	 Our motto, “Caring for the land and

serving people” specifically embraces providing technical and financial 

assistance to State and private forest 

landowners and helping States and 

communities use forest resources 

sustainably to promote rural economic 

development and lifestyles. Forming 

partnerships to achieve shared goals 

is one of the agency’s guiding principles. View the Forest Service mission 

and vision online at http://www.fs.fed.

us/aboutus/mission.shtml.

•	 The Forest Service Strategic Plan

contains a goal to conserve open 

space; view the strategic plan at 

http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/

strategic/fs-sp-fy07-12.pdf.

Land use changes will happen with or

without us.

•	 Growth and development will continue to increase across the landscape, 

with consequent impacts on and 

management challenges for national 

forests and grasslands. If we can help

decrease those impacts, we also will 

help decrease wildfire risk, habitat 

fragmentation, and fire costs, among 

other beneficial outcomes.

You are needed.

•	 You have access to invaluable

information that could benefit communities as they plan for the future. 

You have knowledge of wildlife,

plants, soils, hydrology, and forestry, 

for example. You have experience

in conservation and environmental 

regulation. You have skills that include how to inventory and monitor 

resources or apply for grants. You

also have mapping, modeling, grant 

writing, and other technological or financial tools that many communities 

lack.

•	 You will often find that your local

governments and community groups 

are eager for your input and expertise.

Involvement with local community

planning efforts can help you get

your job done.

•	 For example, the new Forest Service

Planning Rule (http://www.fs.usda.

gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/

stelprdb5362536.pdf) calls for considering all lands when developing, 

amending, or revising land management plans. Working together on 

local planning efforts can help you 

identify and share information and 

harmonize agency planning activities

with other local, regional, State, and 

Federal planning efforts.

•	 When you stay in your community’s

planning loop, you can better understand and respond to public needs. 

You can also build relationships and

leverage resources to meet shared 

goals.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
5

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

2 CAN I GET INVOLVED?

Laws and Regulations That Support Forest 

Service Employee Participation in Local 

Development Planning

Forest Service employees are familiar with how to engage 

the public when planning for actions on 

NFS lands. We also have a rich history 

of assisting local, State, tribal, and other 

Federal government officials and community groups on a variety of specific issues 

outside NFS boundaries, such as fire 

protection plans or road and trail access 

and maintenance.

Furthermore, as part of their official 

duties, many Forest Service employees 

routinely participate in county and town 

meetings, provide management and research data to other government agencies 

and tribes, and work closely with private 

landowners and State foresters to plan 

for and protect private forests. But many 

other employees, like Jane Clarification 

in the fictional scenario, believe that such 

participation in nonagency work is not 

allowed, particularly as part of one’s job.

Open communication and productive 

relationships are essential to foster sound 

land management decisions on both sides 

of the so-called green line between public 

and private land. But can you and other 

Forest Service employees cross that line 

to actually engage in non-Forest Service 

planning and development efforts?

It is well known that the Forest Service 

has no legal authority or objective to 

make decisions for other legal and administrative jurisdictions, including local 

planning efforts. However, a number of 

laws, regulations, and directives enable 

and encourage you and other Forest 

Service employees to work beyond NFS 

boundaries, in your official capacity, to 

further the agency’s mission and open 

space goals while helping communities 

craft environmentally sound development 

strategies and projects.

Planning Staff Officer Jane Clarification lives in a small rural community adjacent to the national forest. She is aware of an 

upcoming county planning meeting to discuss a proposal to create a shopping center to service a low-income neighborhood. It seems like a great idea, but Clarification would like to know more about the details. She has some technical

reports and maps that the county planners might find useful as they explore traffic patterns and project design. She is 

concerned that too many vehicles approaching from the south might interfere with elk migration through the meadow; if 

the entry to the center could be on the north, that impact could be minimized. Clarification hesitates to go to the meeting,

however. “I can’t participate in an “outside” meeting as a Forest Service official, and I can’t even participate as a private

citizen because everyone knows I work for the Forest Service,” she tells a friend. “I certainly am not allowed to offer them

any government-owned maps or data, or influence their decision in any way.” Clarification believes she is stuck watching 

from afar as the center design goes forward without the experience and knowledge she could have shared.

Is Jane Clarification really stuck? See appendix B for discussion.

A number of laws, regulations, 

and directives enable and encourage you and other Forest 

Service employees to work 

beyond NFS boundaries, in your 

official capacity.
6

efforts. The chart is not all-inclusive. It is 

not intended to provide legal guidance for 

specific projects or concerns, and it does 

not supplant existing laws, regulations, 

and policies, or promulgate new policy or 

direction. Consult the cited law, regulation, or program for details.

Consult with your regional Office of 

the General Counsel office, your local 

ethics advisor, and your local grants 

and agreements specialist before entering into any formal arrangements or 

cooperative agreements.

Ethical Considerations

Among the basic ethical considerations 

required of all Forest Service employees 

in the course of their official duties, the 

following are particularly applicable to 

participation in outside planning efforts 

related to community development. If you 

have any doubts or concerns, contact your 

local ethics and legal advisors.

•	 Keep your official duties and personal 

business separate.

•	 Do not accept gifts.

•	 Understand that the mere appearance 

of a conflict of interest makes it a 

conflict.

•	 Do not knowingly make unauthorized 

commitments or promises of any kind 

that could bind the Government.

•	 Do not sit on a board of directors or 

serve as an officer, director, or trustee 

for a non-Federal group.

You Can—

You Cannot—

•	 Articulate the natural resource consequences of various land use options.

•	 Provide science-based information for local decisionmakers.

•	 Help identify problems and share possible solutions.

•	 Bring together people and groups in the interest of developing relationships and

partnerships.

•	 Serve as a voting member of a planning committee or board of directors.

•	 Make decisions for non-National Forest System land.

•	 Take sides or endorse products or services.

•	 Allow personal bias or views to be represented as the agency’s position.

Some Facts About FACA

Some Forest Service employees may 

be under the incorrect impression that 

the 1972 Federal Advisory Committee 

Act (FACA) prohibits agency employees 

from ever meeting with outside groups, 

nongovernmental organizations, or individuals—not so. FACA is meant to help 

ensure that agency decisions are made 

in a transparent and fair way. The Forest 

Service must conduct its own planning 

activities in a participatory and collaborative manner—by keeping meetings open, 

making materials available, and following 

specific rules to prevent undue influence 

on Government decisions affecting public

lands. FACA itself does not restrict Forest 

Service employees from engaging in 

nonagency community meetings and 

planning activities for private and other 

lands. FACA also does not apply if the 

agency does not convene the group or 

set the agenda. Other ethical and legal 

restrictions on official participation in a 

non-Federal group do apply, however. 

The Forest Service’s National Partnership Resource Center has a helpful 

review of key principles and practical 

advice for complying with FACA (http://

www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5203270.pdf). For

questions regarding participation with 

any particular group, contact your 

regional or local Office of the General

Counsel office or ethics advisor.

If you have any doubts or concerns, contact your local ethics and 

legal advisors.

Anchor Points

Table 1 provides a starting point to aid in 

your understanding of a few of the basic 

authorities granted to the Forest Service 

for on-duty engagement in local, State, 

tribal, and regional community planning 
7

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

Table 1. Brief Overview of Legal and Regulatory Anchor Points for Forest Service Employee Participation in Community Development Planning.

This table highlights first steps in the process of understanding legal authorities associated with participation in community development planning. 

After reading this table, be sure to review the cited laws, regulations, and policies. Seek assistance from the USDA Office of the General Counsel

and your local ethics advisor.

CFR = Code of Federal Regulations. FLP = Forest Legacy Program. NFS = National Forest System. RAC = Resource Advisory Council. U.S.C. = United States Code.

a It is “official” if: The employee is assigned the task by a superior, working on official time, reimbursed for travel expenses, using a Government vehicle, in official

uniform, on Federal premises, or invited to participate as a result of his or her official position (NFF and USDA Forest Service 2005).

b A liaison may not: Vote on matters before the board of directors; hold a fiduciary/managerial position as officer, director, or trustee; accept compensation or otherwise 

be employed; participate in financial management, fundraising, personnel actions, or membership issues; engage in lobbying efforts or represent the organization’s

interests as an intermediary or agent before the Federal Government. Other restrictions may apply. Consult with your local ethics advisor or USDA Office of the General

Counsel representative before serving or appointing an employee as a liaison.

What Can I Do? Where Does It Say So?

You Can Spend Officiala TIME (in some ways)

 statistical data, surveys; help prepare funding proposals. Intergovernmental Cooperation Act of 1968, as amended, 31 U.S.C.

6501-6508, Public Law 97-258.

Provide on-the-ground assistance by working with State forestry 

or equivalent agencies (who manage the funds) for projects on nonFederal forest lands.

Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, 16 U.S.C.

2101-2114.

Disseminate scientific information about planning and conserving 

open space.

Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978, 

as amended, 16 U.S.C. 1641-1646, Public Law 95-307.

Serve as a line-officer-appointed agency liaisonb to a local conservation or planning group (but NOT serve as a board member, 

officer, director, trustee, or general partner), within existing ethical and 

legal boundaries.

Outside Activities (Ethics Law and Regulations, part V, section B), 5 

CFR part 2635, subpart H.

Attend in public meetings to exchange information regarding agency 

and nonagency plans and projects.

All of the above, by implication. Plus—

National Forest Management Act, 16 U.S.C. 1604(a), sections 6 and 7.

National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule (2012), 36 

CFR 219.

Attend meetings of a RAC to provide information and advice. Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

2000, 16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., as reauthorized in Public Law 110-343

and Public Law 112-141.

Serve as an agency liaisonb to a watershed council or local water 

issues group to provide information regarding development proposals 

affecting a wild or scenic river.

Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq., Public Law 90-

542, section 1281(e).

You Can Spend Agency FUNDS (sometimes)

Help communities acquire conservation easements and road or 

trail easements by using the FLP and State forestry agencies.

Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978, as amended, 16 U.S.C.

2101, Public Law 95-313.

1990 Farm Bill, Public Law 101-624, 104 Stat. 3359, as amended by 

the 1996 Farm Bill to allow for grants to States.

Provide financial assistance and oversight for the establishment

of community forests by working through the Forest Service Community Forest Program.

Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill, Public Law 110-234, which amends the

Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978.

Work through a RAC to help secure funds for regional restoration 

or cross-boundary projects that will benefit fish, wildlife, and other 

resources on NFS lands (e.g., weed control along a county road that 

passes through a national forest).

Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 

2000, 16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq., as reauthorized in Public Law 110-343

and Public Law 112-141.

Wyden Amendment (Watershed Restoration and Enhancement

Agreement), Public Law 109-54, as amended.
8

Find Out More About Legal and Ethical Aspects

Partnership Guide—http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/

stelprdb5193234.pdf.

Partnership Resource Center—http://www.fs.usda.gov/prc.

Forest Service Handbook 1509 Grants, Cooperative Agreements, and Other

Agreements Handbook/Chapter 70, Partnership Agreements—http://www.fs.fed.us/

im/directives/fsh/1509.11/1509.11_70-79.2.doc.

Legal questions–USDA Office of the General Counsel—http://www.usda.gov/wps/

portal/usda/usdahome?navid=OGC.

Ethics questions—FSEthics@oe.usda.gov.

For full citations and additional references and resources, see chapter 7.

Forest Service
9

Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

3 WHERE DO I FIT IN?

How To Identify and Get Involved in Your 

Local Planning Process

Each State, region, county, and community has its own 

template for making decisions about land 

use, but, in general, they follow similar 

steps that include—

•	 Comprehensive plans and growth 

policies (set overall direction),

•	 Zoning and subdivision ordinances 

(establish overall standards and 

criteria), and

•	 Review of individual proposals.

Each step, in turn, follows a typical path 

that may include—

•	 Proposal,

•	 Technical review,

•	 Public hearings or informal reviews, 

and

•	 Decisionmaking.

District Ranger Joe Curious reads in the newspaper that a new housing development is about to break ground in a forested area within a few miles of the national forest boundary. Curious had never noticed an announcement of an environmental review or public hearing, although he did vaguely recall a request last year from some county official asking for 

information. Curious had been too busy to respond to the request, but apparently all the zoning and permitting hurdles

have now been cleared. Still, Curious wonders what’s going to happen to the wildlife that now find shelter in the area 

about to be cleared, which connects to the national forest by a riparian corridor. His hydrologist wonders how runoff

from the new roads and rooftops will affect the stream that flows past the development into the national forest. The fire 

management officer wonders whether the developers have considered Firewise principles in designing the buildings and 

landscaping. Curious wishes these concerns could have been addressed before the shovels hit the soil.

Where and how could Joe Curious or his staff have contributed to the planning 

discussions? Is there anything they can do now? See appendix B for discussion.

Forest Service employees 

have invaluable knowledge to 

share throughout the planning 

process.... Forest Service employees have invaluable knowledge to share throughout 

the planning process—except for the 

actual decisionmaking—to help local 

and county officials, organizations, and 

landowners understand the potential influence their land use choices can have on 

the natural landscape, including the lands 

and resources of their national forests and 

grasslands. The earlier and more regularly you or your staff get involved in an 

official capacity, the more opportunities 

decisionmakers have to make use of your 

input and expertise.

You Know How To Do This

To put community planning into a familiar 

context, think of the Forest Service as 

part of an interdisciplinary team, providing the best scientific and management 

advice to the line officer (the county or 

local authority) who is charged with 

making the decision. You can provide

professional judgment and recommendations, but someone else decides.

Forest Service
10

Steps and Pathways

Typical decision steps for land development proposals are illustrated in figure 1, 

indicating those points along the path 

where your participation could be most 

valuable. If you are the line officer, 

consider participating yourself or assigning employees to some or all of the steps. 

If you are an employee interested in participating, work with your line officer and 

supervisor to define your role and level 

of commitment.

Figure 1. Appropriate involvement: typical land-development decision steps and ways the Forest Service could contribute.

Property owners, developers, and county staff gather data and investigate feasibility of a project or plan.

You can help: Provide information about natural resources, share maps, advise about wildfire risk, 

interpret data, identify future trends and needs, and identify upcoming NFS projects and activities.

Property owners and developers submit plans for a specific project and seek formal approval and the 

necessary permits from the local government.

You can help: Review plans, report or evaluate findings, share experience, and assess impacts on 

natural resources and national forest/ grassland.

Local government staffs (e.g., building, planning, and engineering) review the application and building 

plans to ensure that they comply with local ordinances and codes.

You can help: Answer questions, provide technical assistance, and offer solutions.

Local planning commission and zoning boards may hold formal public hearings to recommend whether

to approve the project, reject it, attach special conditions, etc. Other local planning issues might involve 

less formal public meetings.

You can help: Attend hearings or meetings, ask and answer questions, and help clarify issues and longterm consequences.

City council, county commission, or other local authority generally has the final say over a proposed 

development project.

You cannot help: You are out of this decisionmaking step.

You can help: Explore partnership opportunities to mitigate potential impacts.

1. Preplanning

2. Proposal

5. Decision

6. Post

Decision

3. Technical

Reviews

4. Public

Hearings or

Meetings

GO

GO

GO

GO

STOP

GO

NFS = National Forest System.

Adapted from ICMA and MIVT (2006) and USDA Forest Service, Interface South (no date), Module 3. An updated (2012) edition of ICMA and MIVT 2006 is available at

http://www.repi.mil/Documents/Primers/Primer_CollaborativeLandUsePlanning.pdf.
11 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

Remember—If you are a local line 

officer, you are officially assigned to 

represent the Forest Service in such processes. If you are an interested employee 

who also participates as part of your 

assigned duties, you also are representing 

the Forest Service. Be sure that agency 

policy and goals are accurately presented 

in comments and recommendations, and 

keep the focus on preventing potential 

impacts might incur to NFS lands and 

resources.

Government Structures and 

Planning Processes

To join a planning discussion at the right 

place and time, it helps to understand 

both the government structure and the 

specifics of the planning process steps 

in your particular area. And that’s not 

always a simple matter. Here’s why—

•	 States differ in their approaches to 

land use regulation and authority over 

cultural and natural resources.

•	 States are organized into counties or 

the equivalent (such as boroughs, parishes, or districts), but some of those 

entities operate as political governing 

bodies for the communities within 

their boundaries and others are simply 

geographic designations.

•	 Each county typically develops its own 

planning regulations and processes 

as prescribed by State laws. Counties 

might have planning or zoning 

commissions that act only to make 

recommendations, while retaining 

decisionmaking authority for a broader 

county commission—or not.

•	 Some counties are further divided into 

independent towns and cities with 

their own governing bodies, such as a 

city or town council, with or without a 

mayor, where even more local planning and zoning decisions might be 

made at watershed and even neighborhood levels. Other towns might be 

unincorporated localities that defer 

to the county level for governance.

•	 Some counties are further served by 

regional councils, which are nonprofit 

public agencies dedicated to helping 

local governments solve regional 

problems or provide services.

The bottom line—Learn about your State, 

county, and local governments and planning structures. Get to know the people 

who occupy decisionmaking positions and 

maintain open dialogue with them. At a 

minimum, ask to be kept informed and 

ensure you are on the right mailing lists 

so that you have the option to participate 

in all open and public processes.

Planning Commissions and Departments

Regardless of the specific structure, 

most communities and counties have a 

planning commission, typically appointed by governing bodies. Many communities and counties also have a planning 

department, where professional staff 

(if they have any) review construction 

and development proposals. Some staff 

members have formal land planning 

experience or training, while others might 

have scientific or technical expertise; 

still others have none of the above. The 

staff members complete the first line of 

review to determine the conditions 

under which a proposal could be approved by the commission (if approval 

is recommended). Getting the right

information to the right staff member 

at the right time with respect to a proposal’s natural resource impacts and 

mitigation options can be critical—but 

recognize that the commission is not

bound to accept the staff member’s 

recommendations.

—Source: Earney (1998).

The earlier and more regularly 

you or your staff get involved 

in an official capacity, the more 

opportunities decisionmakers 

will have to make use of your 

input and expertise.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
12

Find Out More About Land Use Planning Processes

Urban interface—improving national forest management by influencing and

participating in other agency planning—http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/.

USFS participation in local agency planning: Region 5 (California)—http://www.

fs.fed.us/openspace/.

Land-use planning and policy, Module 3: trainer’s guide—http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/changing-roles-notebook/module-3/mod3.pdf.

A toolkit to protect the integrity of greater Yellowstone area landscapes—

http://fedgycc.org/LandscapeIntegrity.htm.

Private lands conservation toolkit and training for Wyoming land managers—

http://www.uwyo.edu/toolkit.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com For full citations and additional references and resources, see chapter 7.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
13 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

4 HOW CAN I MAKE 

A DIFFERENCE?

How To Improve (and Fund) Involvement So 

the Forest Service Voice and Message Can 

Be Heard

The Forest Service can be a tremendous resource to communities in 

planning for open space conservation—

bringing experience, knowledge, and expertise in local plants and wildlife, aquatic 

and soils resources, natural resource 

management, technology, grant writing, 

mapmaking, and ability to leverage funds 

and assets.

Still, Forest Service employees often express reluctance to “step on toes” in local 

or county planning efforts. Sometimes, 

although Forest Service employees might 

be willing and able to step in, their voices 

may be heard or interpreted in unintended 

or unproductive ways, or their input ignored.

In some cases—especially in days of shrinking budgets and expanding workloads—

agency managers just can’t find a way 

to make such outside work fit into the 

available funding or staffing, or they view 

collaboration with local governments as 

Forest Service Lands Specialist Sally Cautious and Recreation Staff Officer Sam Careful are asked by their forest supervisor 

to participate in the planning meetings for a substantial housing development being proposed near the national grassland 

boundary. The developer plans to include an equestrian trail that leads directly to the NFS boundary, where Forest Service 

management is striving to protect habitat for endangered aquatic species. Cautious and Careful bring thick reports, spreadsheets, and maps to the first meeting. The atmosphere becomes highly charged and emotional, causing Cautious and 

Careful to feel somewhat defensive and frustrated that their voices aren’t being heard. They don’t know anyone in the 

room. “This project could threaten T&E fish and have a huge impact on ROS and EVCs,” they worry aloud. “Read those

reports and you’ll see what we mean.” They have to leave early for other pressing Forest Service assignments and have 

no time to come to any more meetings. Planning for the proposed trail and housing development proceeds without them.

How could Sally Cautious, Sam Careful, and their supervisor have improved their 

involvement in the project? See appendix B for discussion.

Line officers, supervisors, 

and employees need to work 

together to craft an appropriate 

level and type of participation.

outside of agency responsibilities, so the 

Forest Service perspective is not heard 

at all.

This chapter outlines tips that Forest 

Service line officers, resource managers, 

and employees can use to improve their 

involvement in local land use planning 

discussions, at whatever level is chosen. 

A few core ideas help lay a foundation for 

effective dialogue with the many agencies, 

organizations, groups, and individuals 

who share an interest in open space conservation. Options are suggested for expanding the financial and human resource 

pool to make effective engagement 

possible.

This is just a starting point. References 

and links offer a sampling of the innumerable resources that offer a wealth of details, 

training, and assistance for collaborating 

across the green line with a clear and 

valuable voice. Once again, line officers, 

Forest Service
14

supervisors, and employees need to work 

together to craft an appropriate level and 

type of participation.

Laying the Foundation for 

Dialogue

Do Your Homework

•	 Know the context. What other projects 

are going on in the region? What are 

the land ownership plans and values 

of the people in the area? What are 

the existing zoning and land use 

ordinances?

•	 Know the players. Who else in the 

region is already doing related planning, 

conservation, or restoration work? 

Who else is involved in the project 

(realtors, local landowners, organizations, industries, government officials, 

etc.)? Who are the decisionmakers?

•	 Know the process. Understand your 

local planning structure (see chapter 2) 

and the ground rules for hearings and 

meetings.

•	 Know the facts. Find out ahead of time 

as much as you can about proposed 

projects, the key issues, and environmental rules and regulations. Be familiar 

with current and expected local, regional, and national Forest Service 

plans, projects, and positions on the 

relevant issues.

Engage Early and Often

•	 Be proactive, not reactive. Don’t 

wait until the planning commission is 

about to hold a hearing on a pending 

project proposal. Ask in advance to be 

included in important meetings and 

hearings, and ask for the opportunity 

to comment on or provide technical 

assistance for draft plans or environmental impact studies. Get on the right 

mailing lists to stay informed.

•	 Meet and get to know your local planning and development staffers, as well 

as community leaders and conservation 

organization staff; get together regularly to monitor proposed projects or 

zoning changes and share information.

•	 Be strategic. To stay abreast of what’s 

happening and to demonstrate your interest in the big picture and the longer 

view, attend as many public meetings 

and hearings as you can afford.

Build and Nurture Relationships

•	 Don’t rush it. Dialogue is built on trust 

and respect nurtured over time. Create 

a foundation for solving complex issues in the future by starting a fruitful 

dialogue with partners today—including 

all the relevant stakeholders, from 

environmental and industry groups to 

local landowners, business leaders, 

and public officials. Even if individual 

participants change over time, strong 

relationships built among groups can 

last indefinitely.

In politically and emotionally 

charged arenas where the 

stakes are high for all concerned, and you have 5- or 

10-minute opportunities to 

speak, keep your cool.

—Retired Minerals Officer and 

Law Enforcement Officer 

Gary Earney (Earney 1998)

Kindly Remind Me: What Can I Do?

See the previous chapters on legal authorities (especially table 1) and planning 

processes (especially figure 1) for the 

kinds of participation that can be helpful 

to communities and planners. Here is

a review of some ways to share Forest 

Service perspective and knowledge 

regarding open space:

•	 Provide written comments, in professional but plain language.*

•	 Provide information at public hearings

and local meetings, including maps 

and technical data.

•	 Participate in scenario-based workshops that are designed for information-gathering purposes.

•	 Share information about plans for

National Forest System (NFS) lands; 

discuss how these national plans 

might be integrated into or complemented by local plans.

•	 Provide information to interagency

coordinating groups on topics such 

as impacts of activities on NFS lands, 

wildfire protection, fish and wildlife 

habitats, and the like.

•	 Serve as a liaison to a local conservation or planning group or watershed council to exchange data and 

information.

•	 Speak to local environmental groups

or host a community forum at your 

district office.

•	 Help secure technical assistance on

how to prepare maps or proposals.

•	 Disseminate scientific information

about resources, planning, or conserving open space.

•	 Work through various agency staffs

to procure funds under certain 

circumstances, such as to purchase 

conservation or trail easements.

* Some formal actions, such as providing official written comments, must be 

signed by a line officer. Be sure to work 

closely with your line officer and supervisor when preparing formal responses 

or considering any direct contact with 

the media.
15 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

•	 Talk in plain language. Avoid acronyms and jargon.

•	 Listen. Learn what others—such as 

local and regional land trusts—have 

to share. Hear what people are asking 

for so you can target your contribution 

accordingly.

•	 Treat others as equals. Respect and 

learn about the culture and practices 

of the other agencies, organizations, 

tribes, and community members with 

whom you are collaborating.

•	 Accept your role. You are a technical 

expert. Someone else is the decisionmaker.

Keep Them Coming Back for More

•	 Be helpful. Provide consistent, 

reliable, clear information to your 

audience in a way that can be easily 

understood. To help the community 

understand the information and the 

agency’s perspective, write summaries 

or memos instead of providing large 

technical documents.

•	 Be specific. Explain your concerns 

and their implications for the public’s 

natural resources. For example: Is the 

project a threat to big game winter 

range? If so, why, how, and where? 

How specifically might the housing 

development be modified to mitigate 

that concern; for example, could they 

move the subdivision a mile to the 

north or concentrate the development 

to leave a larger wildlife migration 

corridor?

•	 Be professional and objective. Focus 

on the issue at hand and on how NFS 

land and resources could be affected. 

Avoid aligning with any one side. Be 

polite, respectful, and flexible and keep 

your personal opinions, emotions, and 

ego to yourself.

•	 Be transparent. To avoid any perception of secrecy or deception, be open, 

honest, truthful, and straightforward.

Finding Time and Funds

Time and funds can present daunting 

hurdles that might be cleared if supervisors 

and line officers work closely with employees to make community engagement a 

priority. In deciding how and when to 

participate in a particular planning effort, 

consider the benefits to NFS resources 

that could result from providing clear and 

helpful input to local planning decisionmaking processes. By influencing how 

and where growth occurs in and around 

NFS lands, we can reduce potential impacts and perhaps achieve greater value 

than we could with some more traditional 

work we might have done with the same 

dollars.

You may need to seek or shuffle funds and 

projects so that you or other employees 

can participate in meetings and activities 

with the guidance and support of your 

supervisors. A number of tools can help 

expand the base of hands and dollars to 

achieve common agency and community 

goals. A few examples follow.

Do the Assignment Shuffle

•	 Allocate employee time for community planning efforts that relate to the 

employee’s existing job description 

and job code; for example, a biologist 

could contribute information about fish 

and wildlife to a community planning 

commission, and a district ranger 

(funded by numerous job codes and 

working under a range of authorities) 

could participate in community planning meetings covering many topics.

•	 Consider taking something off the 

plate. For cases in which a proposed 

land use change could affect critical 

NFS resources, freeing up employee 

Forest Service employees often 

express reluctance to “step on 

toes” in local or county planning 

efforts.

Hint:

It’s about

people,

values,

and

interests.
16

time to provide input might actually 

reduce the workload over time because 

impacts could be mitigated in advance.

•	 Choose carefully the projects in which 

you get involved.

Partner Up

Actively seek and nurture partnerships 

to share costs and tasks. Collaboration 

among diverse stakeholders can go a long 

way toward resolving conflicts, pooling 

resources, and enlisting community support for open space conservation. Partnerships also open up critical connections 

and relationships for increasing trust and 

opportunities for future collaborations.

Seek mutually beneficial projects and activities in which you can not only achieve 

a tangible goal but also help strengthen 

local capacity. Work closely with your 

partners to make things happen. The 

Forest Service has extensive experience 

in forming, nurturing, and sustaining 

community-based partnerships. For starters, visit the Forest Service Partnership 

Resource Center (http://www.fs.usda.

gov/prc) and the Forest Service Interface 

South Web sites (http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles).

Dig Into the Funding Toolbox

The Forest Service has numerous tools 

available to seek funding for projects 

and formal partnerships with nonagency 

entities on issues related to conservation 

of open space. Many other tools are also 

available outside the Forest Service (see 

chapter 7), but here are a few ideas for 

funding possibilities by using our agency—

•	 Land and Water Conservation 

Fund. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) was established to 

assure accessibility to outdoor recreation, purchase wilderness inholdings, 

and protect other important lands for 

public benefit. Funding derives from 

offshore oil and gas royalties and is 

used by multiple agencies including 

the Forest Service, Bureau of Land 

Management, National Park Service, 

and others. Forest Service Lands staff 

members administer certain LWCF 

funds for land acquisition by using a 

highly competitive, two-stage (regional 

and national) process. For criteria and 

process details, visit the Forest Service 

LWCF Web site at http://www.fs.fed.

us/land/staff/LWCF/. LWCF also provides smaller grants to State and local 

governments to support the planning, 

purchase, development, and protection 

of recreation-oriented lands and projects. For more information on LWCF’s 

local programs visit the National Park 

Service Land and Water Conservation 

Fund Web site at http://www.nps.gov/

ncrc/programs/lwcf/fed_state.html. 

•	 Conservation Easements. The Forest 

Service Forest Legacy Program (FLP) 

administers certain other LWCF funds, 

primarily for conservation easements 

held by State forestry agencies. Conservation easements are legal agreements 

between willing landowners and a 

land trust or government agency that 

permanently limit the uses of the land 

while keeping the land in private ownership. Most FLP conservation easements restrict development, require 

sustainable forestry practices, and 

protect other values. To be effective, 

conservation easements must be 

What Is a “Partner”?

Federal policy defines partnerships as 

“arrangements that are voluntary, mutually beneficial, and entered into for the purpose of mutually agreed upon objectives” 

(NFF and USDA Forest Service 2005).

The Forest Service broadly interprets that 

definition to mean relationships between 

the people, organizations, agencies,

tribes, and communities that work together and share interests. We frequently 

work with partners either formally (by using signed agreements and other tools) 

or informally (by conducting activities 

that may serve as a springboard for 

formal arrangements later). For example, many agency employees participate in community networks to offer 

educational events and share skills and 

expertise with local citizens without a

formal documented arrangement.

—Source: Forest Service Partnership Guide 

(NFF and USDA Forest Service 2005).

Time and money can present 

daunting hurdles that might 

be cleared if supervisors and 

line officers work closely with 

employees to make community 

engagement a priority.
17 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

monitored and enforced in perpetuity. 

Since FLP became authorized to provide grants to States in 1996, nearly 

350 projects nationwide have protected 

more than 2 million acres of environmentally sensitive forest lands. For 

details, visit the FLP Web site at http://

www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/programs/loa/

aboutflp.shtml.

•	 Community Forest Program. The 

Community Forest Program protects 

forests that are important for people and 

the places they call home. Community 

forests provide many benefits, such 

as places to recreate and enjoy nature; 

protection of habitat, water quality, 

and other ecosystem services; and economic benefits in the form of timber 

resources and other forest products. 

Community forests have also been 

long-term sites for environmental and 

cultural education. A new competitive 

grant opportunity aims to protect important private forests that are threatened 

by conversion to nonforest uses. Through 

the Community Forest Program, the 

Forest Service can provide financial 

assistance to local governments, tribal 

governments, and qualified nonprofit 

entities to establish community forests 

that provide continuing and accessible 

community benefits. Community 

engagement is key. For more details, 

visit the Community Forest Program 

Web site at http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/

coop/programs/loa/cfp.

•	 Other. Numerous other agency tools 

are available to help fund and facilitate 

the conservation of open space, including land exchanges, sales of facilities 

and land (limited authority), donations, 

rights of way, Memorandums of Understanding, and cost-sharing agreements. 

Each has its unique limitations and 

opportunities. For details and information about restrictions, contact your 

local lands staff or the Forest Service 

Intranet Lands and Realty homepage 

at http://fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/lands/; 

also check with your local grants and 

agreements staff or the Intranet Grants 

and Agreements homepage at http://

fsweb.wo.fs.fed.us/aqm/grants/.

For additional information about the legal 

authorities behind these tools, see chapter 2.

Land Trusts: An Example of Effective Partnerships

A land trust is a private nonprofit organization that actively works to conserve

land by undertaking or assisting in 

voluntary land or conservation easement 

acquisitions, or by its stewardship of 

such easements. Land trusts work closely with landowners and communities to 

conserve land strategically by accepting 

donations of land; purchasing land; 

negotiating private, voluntary conservation agreements on land; and taking care 

of conserved land. Most land trusts are 

community based and deeply connected 

to local needs, so they are well-equipped 

to identify land that offers critical 

natural habitat as well as land offering 

recreational, agricultural, and other 

conservation value. About 1,700 land 

trusts across the country have more 

than 100,000 volunteers and 5 million 

members. In the past decade alone,

land trusts nationwide have helped 

conserve more than 2 million acres per 

year. For details about differing kinds of 

land trusts, how they work, and where 

to locate one near you, visit the Land 

Trust Alliance Web site at http://www.

landtrustalliance.org/.

Actively seek and nurture 

partnerships to share costs 

and tasks.

Susan Stein
18

Find Out More About Partnerships and Collaboration

Publications

Partnership Guide—http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/

stelprdb5193234.pdf.

Partnership Resource Center—http://www.fs.usda.gov/prc.

Making collaboration work—http://www.snre.umich.edu/ecomgt/pubs/documents/

collabwork.pdf.

A toolkit to protect the integrity of greater Yellowstone area landscapes—

http://fedgycc.org/LandscapeIntegrity.htm.

Private lands conservation toolkit and training for Wyoming land managers—

www.uwyo.edu/toolkit.

Online training modules

Interface South, Changing Roles

Land-use planning and policy, trainer’s guide, module 3—http://www.interfacesouth.

org/products/changing-roles/changing-roles-notebook/module-3/mod3.pdf .

Communicating with interface residents and leaders, trainer’s guide, module 4—

http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/changing-roles-notebook/

module-4.

Partnership Resource Center

Numerous training modules for developing strong partnerships—http://www.

fs.usda.gov/detail/prc/tools-techniques/partnership/?cid=stelprdb5335621.

For full citations and additional references and resources, see chapter 7.

http://www.bigstockphoto.com
19 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

5 WRAPPING IT UP

Crossing the Green Line: 

Possible, Proactive, Productive

Working together across the green line can be an 

important way to help the agency and 

local communities achieve mutually beneficial goals as we strive to protect and 

conserve open space and reduce potential 

ecological impacts from the development 

of new housing.

It’s possible. Numerous laws, regulations, 

and agency direction support the participation of Forest Service employees in 

community planning efforts in a variety 

of ways.

It’s proactive. Awareness of local planning processes and knowledge of the 

people who make that process happen can 

enable employees to engage proactively 

in local planning activities at the most 

effective times.

It’s productive. Our dialogues can be 

more productive if we are prepared, 

objective, and ready to build and nurture 

relationships over the long term. Funding 

will always be a challenge, but when 

employees, supervisors, and line officers 

put their heads together, options often 

emerge for careful and considered support 

of local planning efforts, particularly 

through building strong and lasting partnerships.

And it’s important. We are responsible 

for the stewardship of NFS lands and 

for serving the public. By sharing our 

collective knowledge, experience, and expertise to inform how and where growth 

occurs in and around NFS lands, as Forest 

Service employees, we can help reduce 

potential impacts on the natural and 

cultural resources in our care, serve our 

communities as they strive to achieve a 

high quality of life, and help ensure the 

protection and expansion of open space 

across the landscape.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com

Forest Service

Find Out More About Open 

Space Conservation

Open Space Conservation Strategy—

http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/

national_strategy.html.

Forests on the Edge—http://www.fs.fed.

us/openspace/fote/index.html.

For full citations and additional references and 

resources, see chapter 7.
20

6 WHAT WORKS? 

WHAT DOESN’T?

Case Studies

Subdivisions in front country areas of our district were 

increasingly being located in the mouths 

of canyons, where some of our most 

critical riparian and wildlife habitat areas 

are located. Some development plans 

proposed open areas, parks, or greenbelts 

with trails and roads that led up to the 

NFS boundary and just stopped.

In one situation, the end point of an 

equestrian trail connected to the creek at 

the mouth of the Cucamonga Canyon—an 

area with a critical riparian resource 

where increased human use would be 

detrimental and where we would never 

have allowed such trails on the NFS side 

of the boundary. Connecting the developer’s trail network to the national forest 

presented a nightmare of increased public 

access where it was not appropriate and 

could have reduced our flexibility to 

manage that area of the forest.

The developers were advertising the subdivision’s trail system and the proximity 

to the national forests as a selling point, 

and they touted their environmentally 

friendly support of open space and 

recreation opportunities.

In our comments and discussions with the 

developers and the community, we emphasized that general uses of most land 

within the national forest were welcomed. 

We noted that the specific location of the 

proposed trail system, however, could 

damage the very species and resources 

being highlighted as positive attributes of 

the subdivision. We pointed out a variety 

of planning requirements that could 

mitigate these impacts, such as design 

or layout changes to the streets and lots, 

fencing, and various types of barricades 

that could be aesthetically achieved. 

We asked that the development include 

adequate open space within its own

boundaries.

Furthermore, we emphasized that if they 

advertised coordinated recreation uses 

on NFS lands as feasible and desirable, 

they would have to plan for these uses in 

a responsible manner, complying with the 

forest plan, which had been crafted with 

public input in the first place. They would 

have to locate trails where no adverse 

impacts would occur on sensitive riparian 

or wildlife areas.

We also asked that the developers investigate other recreation opportunities in the 

area; for example, a nearby community 

plan included a broad spectrum of regional recreation opportunities, including a 

vast multicommunity equestrian network.

By contributing in these ways, we 

successfully directed community horse 

trails away from the national forest 

boundary and into the existing network, 

thus reaffirming in a positive way the 

developer’s intent to provide attractive 

recreation opportunities while protecting 

natural resources on public lands.

Case Study 1. A California Horse Trail Tale: Win-Win Can Work

This case study is based on a memo from Gary Earney (Earney 1998), now retired from the San Bernadino National Forest

in California. Earney’s multiple perspectives as forest special uses team leader, minerals officer, and law enforcement officer provided invaluable lessons for, and on-the-ground examples of, participation in local and regional planning efforts. The 

story presented here combines several of Earney’s experiences over an extended period of time into a single composite

case study to illustrate both what can happen and what can be done.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
21 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

recreational use of the road and provides 

an access status of Government Use 

Unrestricted for management purposes.

In a second situation, in a location outside 

the national forest boundary, we did not

have a right-of-way to use an existing road 

that was a primary access road to the 

ranger district. We successfully asked the 

city to require the developer to relocate 

the road (still attaching it to the portion 

that was actually on-forest) and provide a 

title or an easement for the road to the city; 

the Forest Service agreed to maintain it. 

Even without formal rights-of-way, 

perimeter roads can simultaneously serve 

multiple purposes such as fuel modification, emergency access, and the like. We 

can help the developers by suggesting 

creative placement and use of roads that 

will enhance and secure public safety.

I

have learned the hard way not to simply sign a quit-claim deed to a national 

forest right-of-way. I thought it was pretty 

clear-cut—A new, nongated, subdivision 

was being planned for an area where a 

right-of-way existed that enabled the public 

and agency personnel access to the national forest. The planned subdivision 

would have public streets that anyone 

(including the Forest Service) could use to 

get to the forest boundary. Why keep a 

formal right-of-way if everyone could use 

the public road anyway? So, we gave it up.

For a while, the public and the Forest Service used that subdivision’s public streets 

to access the national forest boundary. 

Later, the city decided that it did not 

like that area of the forest being used by 

the public during fire season because of 

wildfire threats to the community. The 

city closed the streets to all public entry 

except for residents. Still later, the city 

permanently gated the public—and the 

agency—out of that area of the forest 

unless traveling by foot, bicycle, or 

horseback.

In the future, if I give up a Forest Service 

right-of-way, it will be replaced by an 

equal or better right-of-way. The rightof-way may still be a public city street 

(to fit in with the community), but we 

will retain the right of our users to pass 

over that public street by having a formal, 

replacement, deeded right-of-way that 

is the same alignment as the new public 

street and that allows general public 

Case Study 2. Be Right About Roads and Your Rights-of-Way

This case study is based on a memo from Gary Earney (Earney 1998), now retired from the San Bernadino National Forest

in California. Earney’s multiple perspectives as forest special uses team leader, minerals officer, and law enforcement officer

provided invaluable lessons and examples for participation in local and regional planning efforts. The story presented here 

combines several of Earney’s experiences over an extended period of time into a single composite case study to illustrate

both what can happen and what can be done.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
22

“We are a small island in the Great Plains.” 

So explained Planner Frank Carroll of 

the Black Hills National Forest as the 

motivation for the Forest Service’s robust 

ongoing participation in local planning 

efforts. “We consider the area to be a 

small neighborhood where people need to 

work together. No individual landowners 

can do anything without affecting other 

communities.”

Employees at the Black Hills National 

Forest support and work with the community in a variety of ways. Local Forest 

Service employees often lead fire planning efforts and help on other kinds of 

emergency planning, such as running 

simulations on a wilderness area near Mt. 

Rushmore to evaluate potential development impacts. Forest Service employees 

have worked with the State to develop 

State forestry plans (critical to the community’s ability to receive funding by 

using the Forest Legacy Program), and 

district rangers routinely participate in 

county planning meetings.

One example was the Black Hills 2010 

Initiative in which local communities 

began long-range planning for future development, and Forest Service employees 

participated in numerous planning discussions at State and local levels. Thanks 

to their powerful information platforms 

(based on geographic information 

systems, or GIS, and Forest Service 

Activity Tracking System, or FACTS) 

used for national forest transportation 

planning, the Forest Service also was able 

to complement planning work at the local 

State Department of Transportation.

Like many other national forests, the Black 

Hills National Forest has an interspersion 

of public and private lands within its boundaries; outside, the increasing fragmentation of private land into smaller parcels 

is affecting access to the national forest. 

One approach the Black Hills National 

Forest management team has taken to 

address this land use issue is to help 

facilitate the acquisition of private lands 

for public purposes. The national forest 

collaborated with the Rocky Mountain 

Elk Foundation. The foundation bought 

the parcel in question and then transferred 

ownership to the Forest Service, along 

with water rights to maintain open access.

At times, the Black Hills National Forest 

staff has worked with local planning 

decisionmakers to inform them about 

how specific community planning 

decisions can affect the national forest 

and its public resources. At other times, 

the staff simply acted as good neighbors, 

providing advice, counsel, expertise, and 

whatever technical assistance they could.

“We can’t address our common issues 

without working together,” said Carroll. 

While staffing and funding are an ongoing 

challenge, “It’s a question of priorities,” 

he stated. At the Black Hills National Forest, 

employees are finding ways to prioritize 

and make it work by working together.

Case Study 3. A Small Island in the Great Plains: 

Working Together in the Black Hills

This case study comes from retired Planner Frank Carroll of the Black Hills National Forest, compiled from his responses to

the Forest Service 2010 survey of local planners and district rangers (Lesch 2010).

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
23 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

In one example, the local municipal 

utility company, which owns a large 

inholding within the national forest, 

wanted to open a watershed that had been 

closed by the utility company in the past 

to public use; utility management personnel asked the Forest Service to look at 

how the use of the national forest might 

change as a result. The recommendations 

provided by the Forest Service biologist 

helped to shape the trail location on the 

utility company’s land.

In another situation, a group bought a ranch 

and asked for a zoning change based on 

recreation access to the national forest. 

The district ranger was involved in the 

permitting process from the beginning, 

which helped manage expectations and 

secure a mutually acceptable solution.

“We have tried to solve problems upfront 

by coordinating and planning across 

boundaries,” explained Botts. “For example, if there was an issue with bighorn 

sheep from another landowner’s proposed 

action, we would work with them to try to 

avoid adverse impacts.”

“Sometimes a group might consider the 

Government to be a red-tape barrier,” he 

noted, “so they don’t invite you to participate. You need to build trust with the 

local community in order to be invited to 

participate in local planning efforts. There 

are a lot of opportunities to get involved 

in external planning processes; you just 

need to put in the time.”

Pikes Peak Ranger District on the Pike-San Isabel National 

Forest in Colorado is considered to 

be a fairly urban district. The area has 

undergone substantial development in 

recent years, in part from rapid population 

growth around 2010 at local military 

bases. District Ranger Brent Botts began 

working immediately with the local government on issues related to access and 

impacts from new housing developments 

near the national forest.

Botts did not participate in making decisions, but instead was primarily involved 

in reviewing requests for permits to the 

zoning board. He had participated in 

their meetings over the years whenever 

they pertained to anything adjacent to 

the national forest, not just new housing 

developments. District employees were 

also invited to many planning meetings, 

and they worked with the local planning 

community on a regular basis.

Often, Botts and his staff were asked to 

review and comment on proposals the 

zoning board was considering, and the 

wildlife, lands, and recreation staff often 

provided opinions on potential impacts 

to the national forest. Fire management 

specialists provided advice on wildfire 

protection for new subdivisions. They 

have not done geographic information 

systems (GIS) mapping directly for local 

governments, but they have allowed use 

of Forest Service data and GIS layers by 

Colorado utility companies, the Colorado 

Department of Transportation, and county 

wildfire protection planning efforts.

Case Study 4. Putting in the Time: 

Making and Taking Opportunities To Get Involved

This case study comes from retired District Ranger Brent Botts of the Pike-San Isabel National Forest, compiled from his

responses to the Forest Service 2010 survey of local planners and district rangers (Lesch 2010).

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com
24

“The Skagit River Basin has a long history of people 

working together on a wide range of 

resource management issues. The Forest 

Service has a stake in the condition of 

the entire landscape, since the resources 

we manage both affect and are affected 

by activities outside national forest 

boundaries.... 

Watershed restoration is a cornerstone of 

Forest Service management direction in 

the Pacific Northwest, where declines in 

fisheries and water quality have resulted 

from the disruption of natural systems.... 

Since the mid 1990s, a watershed-scale 

approach to restoration has been used in 

the Skagit, creating both incentive and opportunity for extensive partnership efforts. 

Salmon once swam the Skagit River by 

the millions, but today salmon and trout 

are found in only a fraction of those 

numbers. There are many causes for the 

decline and many opinions about potential solutions. However, few would argue 

that for restoration actions to be effective, 

they must be coordinated across landownership and jurisdictional boundaries....

Early in the 1990s, several organizations 

in the Skagit began meeting informally 

on sub-basin and watershed-scale issues. 

Over time, these groups evolved as people 

became familiar with each other and the 

interconnected nature of their interests 

and concerns. The Forest Service helped to 

coordinate informational meetings among 

agencies and organizations as part of the 

interim watershed assessment process 

under the Northwest Forest Plan. By 

1997, these relationships were formalized 

as the Skagit Watershed Council. This 

umbrella organization of 38 members 

with disparate interests, missions, and 

philosophies had one overriding common 

interest: the restoration of the Skagit 

River watershed and its resident salmon.

...The council supports voluntary restoration and protection of salmon habitats 

and the natural processes that form and 

sustain them. Through collaboration, 

technical assistance, and education, the 

council seeks to fulfill its mission.... The 

Forest Service supports the work of the 

council with contributions of staff time 

and financial assistance.

Among the tangible results of this 

partnership effort is the council’s highly 

regarded restoration strategy.... Less 

visible but equally important are the relationships and history of working together 

that have developed. 

This is our story, on this landscape, but 

it is part of a bigger picture. Nurturing 

partnerships at all levels will become 

even more important as emerging issues 

reach across regional, national, and global 

boundaries. It will be essential not only 

to have partners but to be partners in the 

important work of caring for the land and 

serving people.”

Case Study 5. Planning Partnerships for a Wild and Scenic River: 

Skagit Watershed Council

This story of the Skagit Watershed Council highlights the role the Forest Service can play in advising local planning groups 

with wild and scenic river issues on private lands within the Skagit River Wild and Scenic River System corridor. The content 

is excerpted from Beyond Boundaries: Resource Stewardship in the Skagit River Basin (MBS 2001), which explores the 

power of partnerships between the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington State and its local communities.

In the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System in Washington State, 50 percent of the designated corridor is in

private ownership. Forest Service employees frequently meet with landowners and other partners to provide 

information during planning efforts, monitor activities and their impacts on river values and resources, and 

provide technical assistance.

Forest Service
25 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

7 REFERENCES AND 

RESOURCES

Selected References

Baldwin, R.; Lipscomb, D.; Scherzinger, R.; Stein, S. 2012. Conservation planning for land use 

planning: a survey of America’s planners, review of tools, barriers, and solutions. Clemson, SC: 

Clemson University. 70 p.

Earney, G.A. Revised 1998. Urban interface: improving national forest management by influencing 

and participating in other agency planning. Unpublished memo and report. 17 p. http://www.fs.fed.

us/openspace/. (24 June 2013).

Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee (GYCC). 2008. A toolkit to protect the integrity of 

greater Yellowstone area landscapes. http://fedgycc.org/LandscapeIntegrity.htm. (24 June 2013).

International City/County Management Association (ICMA); Metropolitan Institute at 

Virginia Tech (MIVT). 2006. Collaborative land use planning: a guide for military installations and 

local governments. Arlington, VA: U.S. Department of Defense, Sustainable Ranges Initiative. 27 p. 

http://www.denix.osd.mil/sri/Tools/Primers.cfm. (13 December 2010).

International City/County Management Association (ICMA); National Association of Counties 

(NACo). 2006. Working with local governments: a practical guide for installations. Arlington, VA: 

U.S. Department of Defense, Sustainable Ranges Initiative. 20 p. http://www.denix.osd.mil/sri/

Tools/Primers.cfm. (13 December 2010).

Lesch, L. 2010. Forest Service participation in local community planning efforts. Unpublished 

report. 4 p. http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/national_strategy/. (24 June 2013).

Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS). 2001. Beyond boundaries: resource stewardship in 

the Skagit River Basin—communities and national forests in partnership. Sedro-Woolley, WA. 25 p.

National Forest Foundation (NFF); U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, 

National Partnership Office. 2005. Partnership guide: the power of people working together. http://

www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5193234.pdf. (24 June 2013).

Stein, S.M.; Alig, R.J.; White, E.M.; Comas, S.J.; Carr, M.; Eley, M.; Elverum, K.; O’Donnell, 

M.; Theobald, D.M.; Cordell, K.; Haber, J.; Beauvais, T.W. 2007. National forests on the edge: 

development pressures on America’s national forests and grasslands. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-728. 

Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 

26 p. (25 June 2013).
26

Stein, S.M.; McRoberts, R.E.; Mahal, L.G.; Carr, M.A.; Alig, R.J.; Comas, S.J.; Theobald, D.M.; 

Cundiff, A. 2009. Private forests, public benefits: increased housing density and other pressures on 

private forest contributions. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-795. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 74 p. http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/

fote/. (25 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 2006. Cooperating across boundaries: 

partnerships to conserve open space in rural America. FS-861. Washington, DC. 54 p. http://www.

fs.fed.us/openspace/cooperatingacrossboundaries.pdf. (25 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 2007a. Forest Service open space conservation strategy: cooperating across boundaries to sustain working and natural landscapes. FS-889. 

Washington, DC. 16 p. http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/OS_Strategy_final_web.pdf. (25 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. 2007b. USDA Forest Service strategic 

plan FY 2007–2012. FS-880. Washington, DC. 38 p.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service. (No date). The art of collaboration. 

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. http://www.fs.usda.gov/main/prc/

tools-techniques/collaboration. (25 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Interface South. (No date). Land-use 

planning and policy, trainer’s guide—module 3. Changing Roles: WUI Professional Development 

Program. http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/changing-roles-notebook/module-3/

mod3.pdf. (25 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Interface South. (No date). Communicating with interface residents and leaders, trainer’s guide—module 4. Changing Roles: WUI 

Professional Development Program. http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/changingroles-notebook/module-4. (24 June 2013).

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service; Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment 

and Natural Resources. 2011. Private lands conservation toolkit and training for Wyoming land 

managers. Laramie, WY: University of Wyoming. 51 p. http://www.uwyo.edu/toolkit. (25 June 2013).

Wisconsin Department of Urban and Regional Planning; University of Wisconsin; Wisconsin 

Department of Natural Resources. 2002. Planning for natural resources: a guide to including 

natural resources in local comprehensive planning. Madison, WI. 85 p. http://www.doa.state.wi.us/

docview.asp?docid=9602. (25 June 2013).

Wondolleck, J.M.; Yaffee, S.L. 1994. USFS participation in local agency planning: Region 5 (California). In: Wondolleck, J.M.; Yaffee, S.L. Building bridges across agency boundaries: in search of 

excellence in the U.S. Forest Service. A research report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, School of Natural 

Resources and the Environment. 90 p. Available at: http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/.

Yaffee, S.L.; Wondolleck, J.M. 2000. Making collaboration work. Conservation biology in practice. 

1(1): 17–25. http://www.snre.umich.edu/ecomgt/pubs/documents/collabwork.pdf. (25 June 2013).
27 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

Other Resources

Numerous resources for training, information, and guidance about collaboration, planning, and 

development issues are available online and through various programs and organizations. The following suggestions are only a starting point to steer you toward Forest Service and partner programs 

of particular relevance for you and your community. You can follow these leads as you begin your 

search—and if you know of other especially helpful resources, please share them on our Forest 

Service Open Space Conservation Web site, or by email to openspace@fs.fed.us.

Forest Service, Open Space Conservation Web Site—http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/.

The Open Space Conservation Web site contains a wealth of information on open space conservation 

tools and practices, including recordings and electronic slides from the monthly Webinar series 

(Planning for Growth and Open Space Conservation) and links to related tools, success stories, and 

publications produced by and in collaboration with Forest Service scientists.

Forest Service, Partnership Resource Center—http://www.fs.usda.gov/prc.

The Partnership Resource Center represents an effective collaboration between the Forest Service 

and the National Forest Foundation. The Partnership Resource Center Web site is a treasure house 

of information and links about collaboration and partnership training, project funding opportunities, 

relevant policies and legislation, success stories, and of course, the Partnership Guide.

Forest Service, Interface South, Changing Roles Professional Development Program—

http://www.interfacesouth.org/products/changing-roles/.

The Southern Group of State Foresters led a partnership with the Forest Service’s Interface South 

program; the University of Florida, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; and the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a wildland-urban interface (WUI) professional development 

program. The online resource provides State and Federal natural resource agencies with a set of 

flexible resources to conduct their own training programs, aimed toward building skills and tools to 

successfully tackle WUI issues—all relevant to and easily adapted for broader open space conservation issues.

Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry: Forest Legacy Program and 

Forest Stewardship Program—http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/programs/.

The Forest Legacy Program (FLP) is a voluntary program in which the Forest Service works in 

partnership with State forest stewardship coordinators to help communities protect environmentally 

sensitive forest lands and achieve conservation objectives and other public benefits, including recreation, wildlife habitat, and forest products. FLP funds are used to support conservation easements 

(65 percent of all FLP projects) and fee-simple purchases (35 percent of all FLP projects) proposed 

by State agencies. Lands or conservation easements are held by State agencies or another unit of 

government. Land trusts and other conservation organizations play a critical role by working with 

landowners, identifying projects, helping to secure cost share, and facilitating the completion of projects. The FLP Web site has a wealth of information for FLP managers and partners, including lists 

of Federal and State contacts, program guidelines, appraisal information, and links to other federally 

funded land conservation programs, related conservation organizations, useful maps, and more.
28

The Forest Stewardship Program (FSP) works through State forestry agencies to provide technical 

assistance to nonindustrial private forest owners and to encourage and enable active long-term forest 

management. A primary focus of FSP is the development of comprehensive, multiresource management plans that provide landowners with the information they need to manage their forests for a variety 

of products and services. The FSP Web site includes Guiding Principles for Delivery of Coordinated 

Planning Assistance to Private Forest Landowners and a Stewardship Guide, along with links to 

guidance for foresters preparing stewardship plans to expedite and facilitate participation in USDA 

cost-share programs when requested by the forest landowner.

American Planning Association and Clemson University, Conservation Planning Tools 

Assessment—https://www.planning.org/partnerships/forestservice/.

The Conservation Planning Tools Assessment (Baldwin et al. 2012) was created in partnership among 

the American Planning Association (APA), Clemson University, and the Forest Service. The assessment was created to understand (1) APA member planners’ use of geographic information systems 

conservation planning tools and (2) the breadth and scope of currently available tools. Results indicate that because conservation planning tools are complicated and rapidly evolving, most landscape 

planners do not have the time or resources to use them. A review of 21 conservation planning tools 

included software, data sources, and key resources (in books, in articles, and online). The tools were 

categorized under six themes, each of which represents a substantial body of scientific literature and 

projects. The assessment provides a brief review of each theme and key resources.

The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Partnership Center—http://www.conservationgateway.org. 

The Nature Conservancy, a nongovernmental, nonprofit conservation organization, offers an interactive, Web-based resource center for conservation practitioners who want to learn how to create and 

manage more effective partnerships for greater conservation impact. The Conservation Partnership 

Center site offers partnership tools, methodologies, and resources such as training via six interactive, 

self-guided lessons and tools and templates for adapting to individual projects, case studies, example 

documents, references, and a downloadable practitioner’s guide.

National Conservation Easement Database—http://www.conservationeasement.us/.

The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities has created an online resource with detailed 

information on the nearly 18 million acres that are now protected by more than 80,000 conservation 

easements across the United States. Users can search for individual properties or view a State report 

for a quick summary. Map-savvy practitioners can choose to download geographic datasets for advanced analysis. The wealth of data available via a single, up-to-date, sustainable nationwide system 

can help identify those who have conserved nearby lands, reveal critical lands not yet protected, and 

present new opportunities for collaboration and effective partnering. The database was created in 

partnership with the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Natural Resources 

Conservation Service.

National Park Service, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program—http://www.nps.

gov/ncrc/programs/rtca/whoweare/wwa_who_we_are2.htm.

The National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program is a national 

network of 70 conservation and recreation-planning professionals. Although the network is nationwide, the action is local; the program leverages expertise and experience to help communities set 

conservation priorities and achieve open space goals. Project partners may be nonprofit organizations, 

community groups, tribes or tribal governments, and local/State/Federal government agencies. RTCA 

does not provide funding but rather supplies a staff person with experience in community-based outdoor recreation and conservation to work with partners. Decisionmaking remains in the hands of 

community residents.
29 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com

The Conservation Fund, Green Infrastructure—http://www.greeninfrastructure.net.

Green infrastructure typically means highways, energy sources, and buildings, all of which typically 

are part of local development activity. Green infrastructure also means planning for networks of open 

spaces and natural resources that connect communities and regions. The Conservation Fund provides 

green infrastructure expertise to local planning efforts across the country, including training and 

planning workshops and help with designing mitigative solutions to development dilemmas, as well 

as help with developing comprehensive open space plans and fundraising guidance.

Federal Highway Administration, Environmental Review Toolkit and Guidebook—http://www.

environment.fhwa.dot.gov/index.asp.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Environmental Review Toolkit is a one-stop resource 

for information and updates about transportation and environment. The toolkit provides up-to-date 

information on transportation and environmental policy, best practices, and training. Included in 

the toolkit is a section on Planning and Environmental Linkages, which explores a collaborative 

and integrated approach to the transportation planning process. An environmental guidebook called 

Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Developing Infrastructure Projects offers up-to-date information on a variety of environmental and planning topics, including resources related to interagency 

coordination and project development. Although focused specifically on transportation planning from 

the FHWA standpoint, the resources, publications, and information here could easily be adapted 

and adopted by Forest Service employees wishing to assist communities with development-related 

transportation planning efforts.
30

A CHECKLISTS

Appendix

Checklist 1. Working With Local Governments and Organizations

What is the local government structure? q Mayoral

q Mayoral-Council

q Council-Manager

q Commission

q Other 

Who are the key members of the local

government and what is their contact

information (name, email, phone, etc.)?

q Mayor

q Council Members

q Commissioners

q Other 

Which office is responsible for zoning,

planning, development, and other land

use decisions in/for your community?

q State

q County

q Municipal 

Who are the local planners (individuals)

and what is their contact information?

Who actually makes local land use

decisions (individuals)?

What are the active community and neighborhood civic groups (by name) and who

leads them (individuals)?

Does a local environmental advisory board,

watershed council, or other land/water/

natural resource conservation group exist?

If so, who is the contact (individual)?

q yes q no

Who are the key members of the local

media outlets (individuals)?

q Television station contacts

q Radio contacts

q Newspaper contacts

q Local Chamber of Commerce

q Social media (bloggers, Facebook, Twitter) 

Who should receive NFS planning updates? q Community groups

q Key members of local government

q Local media and social media contacts

q Other

This checklist can help you determine 

your local government and planning 

structures and give you a way to identify 

and keep in touch with the people who 

are in local leadership positions. Tailor 

the checklist to meet your specific needs: 

Add a column to keep track of meetings, 

for example, or a column for notes about 

key decision dates or things to do.

NFS = National Forest System. Adapted from ICMA

and NACo (2006); and updated (2012) edition of 

this publication is available at http://www.repi.mil/

Documents/Primers/Primer_LocalGovernments.pdf.
31 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

Checklist 2. Let’s Make It Happen: More Ideas for Action

If online resources and earnest efforts 

still leave you with strained relationships 

with community planning players, try a 

few more active approaches, such as—

q Sponsor a facilitated workshop for both Forest Service and non-Forest Service 

local planners and decisionmakers to explore local planning processes and procedures.

q Bring in a trainer to teach partnership and collaboration skills to both Forest 

Service employees and key partners.

q Spearhead a community festival to celebrate cultural or environmental resources.

q Ask your public affairs officer or line officer to write regular letters to the editor 

of local newspapers about open space and natural resource issues; establish a 

clear, informative, and positive voice before a contentious issue even arises.

q Send staff members to the National Lands Training; this Bureau of Land Management/Forest Service annual workshop covers public land laws and policies, 

legal public land issues, and tools for making land use and planning decisions and 

solving potential issues.

q Do some role playing. Develop an approach for engaging with the community, 

assign responsibilities and roles, and try it out in-house or with trusted colleagues 

and partners before going live in public. Practice!

q Create a mentorship process whereby new Forest Service employees meet or accompany other employees to facilitate participation in local and regional planning 

and to develop trust with local planners.

q Create a basic toolbox of available tools (such as geographic information systems 

technology) that you can share with local planners; be ready to grab the tool(s) 

and go, and be able to explain what the tool(s) can or cannot do.

q Create (and maintain) a database of local planning efforts, including contacts for 

State, local, and county planning groups, and a schedule of ongoing meetings to 

facilitate participation in open space meetings.

Add your own ideas. These suggestions came primarily from respondents to the Forest 

Service Participation in Local Community Planning Efforts survey (http://www.fs.fed.

us/openspace/national_strategy/). When you come up with something that works (or not), 

please share your thoughts at the Forest Service Open Space Web site, http://www.fs.

fed.us/openspace/, or send an email to openspace@fs.fed.us.
32

B SCENARIOS: 

DISCUSSION GUIDE

Appendix

The scenarios used to introduce chapters 2 through 4 help describe possible 

situations Forest Service employees 

might encounter when considering participation in community activities or when 

working with partners. Although fictional, 

the scenarios are intended to provide a 

hint of reality for the topics discussed 

generally in each chapter.

We hope the scenarios will serve as a 

launching pad for further discussion—

whether formally at staff meetings or 

informally around the water cooler or in 

the field. Some possible responses to the 

hypothetical questions posed at the end of 

each scenario are suggested here to start 

you off. 

Consider tweaking the scenarios to more 

closely match real situations in your own 

experience and explore additional solutions and questions. Build new scenarios 

to test your knowledge and understanding 

of the concepts presented in this booklet 

and to lead you further in your journey 

toward effective engagement with community planning efforts in the interest of 

open space conservation.

These scenarios are intended only as a 

teaching tool to introduce you to broad 

concepts. Please contact your ethics 

official or legal counsel if you have 

questions or need advice concerning a 

specific situation.

Discussion

Jane Clarification’s situation isn’t that 

sticky. Clarification could attend this public meeting as a Forest Service employee 

to exchange information, find out more 

specifics about the proposal, share reports 

and maps, present her professional concerns regarding impacts to national forest 

resources, and even offer suggestions for 

revising the project design to remove or 

mitigate the impacts that might have consequences for the national forest. Even if 

she cannot personally attend the meeting, 

she certainly can notify local or State officials that she has information that could 

be useful and ask to be kept on the project 

mailing list.

Most Forest Service maps and data are 

public information; often planners and the 

public are unaware of the availability of 

such information, or they may be unable 

to interpret it and apply it to their particular project or proposal. Clarification’s 

official participation likely would be 

welcomed or even expected, not only as 

a source of information and guidance but 

also as a reaffirmation that our agency 

is interested in and cares about the community’s issues. Her early participation 

now, during the design stage, could help 

the community achieve its low-income 

housing goal while protecting its public 

lands and resources.

Because Clarification lives in the area, 

she probably could also participate in the 

public meeting unofficially as a private 

citizen who happens to be a stakeholder or 

to have an interest in this particular project. The fact that her employment with 

the Forest Service is well known suggests 

that, at the least, she would have to state 

openly that her opinions are her own and 

not those of the agency. Depending on the 

exact situation, Jane Clarification might 

need to consult her local ethics advisor to 

help define the parameters under which 

she could participate.

Chapter 2

Scenario summary

Planning Staff Officer Jane Clarification believed she could not provide information to 

or participate in any way in a local development proposal—although she could foresee 

potential impacts on wildlife inhabiting the national forest, and she had information that 

could help mitigate those impacts. Was Jane Clarification really stuck?
33 Across the Green Line: How Forest Service Employees Can Support Local Land Use Planning Efforts

Joe Curious’s first opportunity to engage 

had come early on when he received a 

preplanning information request from the 

county. He might have responded, even 

if just to say he was busy but wanted to 

be kept informed. This communication 

could have demonstrated his interest and 

would have provided the opportunity 

to monitor the progress of the proposal 

throughout the various planning and 

review phases.

If Curious had continued to be swamped, 

he might have assigned his hydrologist, 

biologist, or fire management staff to attend 

a meeting or two, exchange information, 

and evaluate whether more detailed participation might be warranted depending 

on the scope and scale of the project and 

the risk to national forest resources. They 

might have been able to provide reports, 

maps, or data that could have been useful 

during technical reviews. A few hours of 

their time might have been set aside from 

some other task to allow attendance at 

public meetings to explain the agency’s 

concerns about potential impacts on 

National Forest System lands.

Now that shovels are about to hit the dirt, 

it’s not too late to participate. Curious and 

his staff could still contact the developers 

and planners to offer advice about on-theground design and construction. Maybe 

the exact location of the buildings could 

still be tweaked to cluster the development 

and leave more intact forested areas for 

wildlife, or fences or underpasses might 

be installed to enable wildlife to migrate 

safely around the development. Perhaps 

impacts to the riparian area could be 

mitigated by relocating the road a bit or 

by applying other mitigating practices 

and techniques. Firewise practices for 

landscaping and building materials could 

still be put into place. Curious might 

offer a Firewise Communities workshop 

to help work out details—and provide it 

again when homeowners and businesses 

inhabit the new spaces.

Chapter 3

Scenario summary

District Ranger Joe Curious was dismayed that a new development underway might 

adversely affect national forest wildlife habitat and water quality and could increase fire risk 

to the community. Where and how could Joe Curious and his staff have contributed to the 

planning discussions? Is there anything they can do now?

Discussion
34

Chapter 4

Scenario summary

Lands Specialist Sally Cautious and Recreation Staff Officer Sam Careful are frustrated 

and defensive because their brief participation in a planning meeting does not seem to be 

well received, even though they provided technical reports and warned that impacts on 

public resources could occur. How could Sally Cautious, Sam Careful, and their forest

supervisor have improved their involvement?

Discussion

Sally Cautious, Sam Careful, and their 

forest supervisor had many ways to improve their involvement. First, they could 

have brought summaries instead of large 

technical reports, or they could have simply 

given some highlights to help nontechnical 

folks understand and digest the key points. 

Second, Cautious, Careful, or the forest 

supervisor could have become involved 

earlier in the process to get to know some 

of the people and build relationships that 

could have laid a foundation for more 

effective and less emotional dialogue.

When Cautious and Careful tried to express 

their concerns, they could have avoided 

the acronyms and simply explained the 

potential impacts on the protected fish and 

why increased access to the national forest via the new trail could be a problem. 

They could have offered ways to help 

avoid or mitigate the potential impacts on 

National Forest System land, such as locating the trail head elsewhere or connecting 

not to the national grassland but to 

another existing county trail system—

helping create a win-win situation instead 

of confrontation.

Cautious and Careful had received mixed 

messages from their supervisor: They were 

asked to participate but were not given adequate time or resources to follow through. 

A project with such potential to thwart 

agency management efforts to protect an 

endangered species on the national grassland might have given the forest supervisor 

sufficient justification to reassign Cautious, 

Careful, or someone else to devote at least 

a portion of their time to monitor and participate in the process on a regular and 

meaningful basis.

If the project goes forward, it appears 

that Forest Service employees could be 

spending time in the future dealing the 

implications for recreation, threatened 

and endangered species, fire access, and 

law enforcement on the national grassland.

An earlier step into the process perhaps 

could have lightened the future workload 

and saved money in the long run.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, 

national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, 

genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance 

program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 

and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., 

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and

employer.

Front cover photo credits: wildflowers—National Forest Foundation, Lake Tahoe—http://www.thinkstockphotos.com, meeting—

Forest Service, housing development—http://www.thinkstockphotos.com, men with map—Kathryn Conant, Forest Service. 

Back cover photo credit: National Park Service.

http://www.thinkstockphotos.com

“We have a wealth of expertise and experience to share with local 

communities that are striving to conserve natural resources while 

planning for future growth. By working in partnership with local 

communities, the Forest Service can further assist our communities 

to make critical contributions to the conservation of open space 

across the landscape.”

—Thomas L. Tidwell, Chief of the USDA Forest Service
Open Space Benefits

•	 Clean air and water.

•	 Water supplies.

•	 Natural flood control.

•	 Food.

•	 Timber, forage, and other products.

•	 Wildlife habitat and corridors.

•	 Endangered species recovery.

•	 Climate regulation.

•	 Scenic beauty.

•	 Recreation opportunities and access.

•	 Improved human health.

•	 Opportunities to connect youth with nature.

•	 Increased property values.

—Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy

For further information, contact

Susan Stein

Forest Service, Cooperative Forestry Staff

1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Mailstop 1123

Washington, DC 20250–1123

202–205–0837

sstein@fs.fed.us

http://www.fs.fed.us/openspace/