Colville National Forest-Forest Plan Revision 

Quick Glance Key for Comparing DEIS Alternative Maps 

This document may be helpful when reviewing the alternative maps by providing the management area (MA) descriptions right at your fingertips

with the map legend name and map legend information. This information was taken from Table 6—found in the DEIS, Vol. 1 on pages 38-42.

Management Areas Name Description

Wood/Forage

 (No Action Alternative)

The management goal is to achieve optimum production of timber products while protecting basic 

resources. 

Scenic/ Timber

( No Action Alternative)

The management goal is to provide a natural appearing foreground, middle, and background along major 

scenic travel routes while providing wood products. 

Old Growth Dependent Species 

Habitat/ Late Forest Structure

(Alts.- No Action and R)

The management goal is to provide essential habitat for wildlife species that require late and old forest 

habitat components (e.g., structure such as large and old trees, large snags, and downed wood) and 

contribute to the maintenance of diversity of wildlife habitats and plant communities. 

Caribou Habitat[1]

(No Action Alternative)

The management goal is to provide seasonal habitats for woodland caribou to contribute the Colville 

National Forest portion of a fully recovered population as specified in the Caribou Recovery Plan. 

Winter Range

(No Action Alternative)

The management goal is to meet the habitat needs of deer and elk to sustain carrying capacity at 120 

percent of the 1980 level, while managing other resources (e.g., timber harvest, recreation) consistent with 

fish and wildlife management objectives. 

 [1] The woodland caribou recovery area is integrated with the Focused Restoration management area under the proposed action and alternative P, and integrated with the Late 

Forest Structure management area in alternative R.
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Management Areas Name Description

Scenic/Winter Range

(No Action Alternative)

The management goal is to provide a natural appearing foreground, middle, and background along major 

scenic travel routes while providing for winter range management. 

Focused Restoration[2]

(Proposed Action and

Alternative P)

Management area emphasis would focus on the restoration of ecological integrity and ecosystem function 

at the landscape scale using both active management (mechanical treatment and prescribed fire) and 

passive management (natural processes, including disturbances and succession) to restore natural 

processes and improve resiliency, while emphasizing important fish and wildlife habitats. Spatially, these 

areas include the key watersheds, and grizzly bear and caribou recovery areas not included in Backcountry 

and Backcountry Motorized management areas. The active management focus in key watersheds would 

promote riparian goals. 

General Restoration[3]

(Proposed Action and Alternatives 

R and P)

Management area emphasis would focus on enhancing ecological integrity and ecosystem function at the 

landscape scale using active management (mechanical treatment and prescribed fire) to restore natural 

processes and improve resiliency. 

Active Management and 

Responsible Management Areas

(Alternatives B and O)

Management area emphasis would be to use active forest management (timber harvest and prescribed 

fire) to provide forest products to the local economy and move the forest toward desired conditions for 

resilience to insects, disease, and uncharacteristic wildfire. While the management emphasis would be the 

same for both these MAs, the “Responsible Management Area” was named through a collaborative 

process and is retained to honor the collaborative process. 

Restoration 

(Alternatives B and O)

Like the Focused and General Restoration MAs, management area emphasis would focus on the 

restoration of ecological integrity and ecosystem function at the landscape scale using both active 

management (mechanical treatment and prescribed fire) and passive management (natural processes, 

including disturbances and succession) to restore natural processes and improve resiliency, with limited 

mechanical treatment in late forest structure habitat. The landscape would be natural appearing in the 

majority of this management area, but in comparison to the Backcountry and Backcountry Motorized 

management areas, these areas have National Forest System roads and areas of intensive, concentrated 

management activity or facilities. 

 [2] In the proposed action provided to the public in June 2011, Focused Restoration was labeled as Active Restoration 2.

[3] In the proposed action provided to the public in June 2011, General Restoration was labeled as Active Restoration 3.
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Management Areas Name Description

Backcountry

(All alternatives)

Management area emphasis would be to provide non-motorized backcountry recreation opportunities in a 

natural-appearing landscape. Mechanized uses may be allowed. The MA would contribute habitat 

conditions for species that benefit from an unroaded and summer non-motorized landscape. 

Backcountry Motorized

(All alternatives)

Management area emphasis would be to provide motorized backcountry recreation opportunities in a 

natural-appearing landscape. Summer motorized use would be suitable and allowed where identified on 

the Forest’s Motor Vehicle Use Map. Both cross-country and trail-based winter over-snow vehicle use 

would be suitable. Mechanized would also be suitable. These MAs would contribute habitat conditions for 

species that benefit from an unroaded landscape. 

Recreation

(No Action Alternative)

The management area goal is to provide roaded and unroaded recreation opportunities in a natural 

appearing setting, to provide semi-primitive motorized and non-motorized recreation while meeting 

objectives of wildlife management, and to provide for quality winter recreation opportunities including 

downhill skiing, Nordic skiing, and other compatible uses. (This MA includes general recreation, 

recreation/wildlife, and skiing areas in the 1988 Forest Plan.)

Wilderness − Designated

(All Alternatives)

Congress has designated the Salmo-Priest Wilderness on the Colville National Forest (31,445 acres). 

Management area emphasis is, and would continue to be under all action alternatives, to preserve the five 

qualities of wilderness character - untrammeled, natural, undeveloped, opportunities for solitude or 

primitive and unconfined recreation, and other features of values. In addition, the management areas 

direction in all alternatives proposes specific objectives, standards, and guidelines for the use of prescribed 

fire in wilderness.

Wilderness –Recommended

(Proposed Action and Alternatives

R, P, B and O)

Management area emphasis would be to protect and maintain the social and ecological characteristics that 

provide the basis for the wilderness recommendation. Depending on the alternative (see detailed 

alternative descriptions), non-conforming wilderness uses including motorized trail maintenance and 

reconstruction, and mechanized uses (e.g., mountain biking) may be allowed to continue until Congress 

takes action to designate the areas as wilderness. 

Research Natural Areas

(All alternatives)

Research natural areas (RNA) are established to provide study and protection of a full range of habitat 

types and remain in a relatively unaltered condition for non-manipulative research, observation, and study. 

Plan direction would continue to emphasize maintaining the research values of the areas. Management 

activities in a research natural area must be consistent with the purposes for which the RNA was 

established (or proposed) or specifically maintain the values of the RNA.
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Management Areas Name Description

Eligible and Suitable Wild and 

Scenic Rivers

(All alternatives)

Portions of two rivers on the Colville National Forest, the Kettle River (classified as recreational) and the 

South Fork Salmo River (classified as wild), have been identified as being eligible for inclusion in the 

National Wild and Scenic River Inventory. Plan direction would continue to emphasize maintaining the freeflowing characteristic and outstandingly remarkable values for which the river is determined eligible. 

Scenic Byways

(All alternatives)

Management area emphasis would be to maintain or enhance the qualities of the byway. The Colville 

National Forest includes all or part of the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway (designated as both a Washington 

State Scenic Byway and a National Forest Scenic Byway), the North Pend Oreille Scenic Byway 

(designated as a Washington State Scenic Byway), and the International Selkirk Loop (designated as an 

All-American Road).

A 1⁄2-mile strip on either side of the byway centerline defines the scenic byway management area.

Management direction would only apply to portions of the byway within National Forest System lands. 

Nationally Designated Trails

(All alternatives) 

Management direction is for all nationally designated trails located within the administrative boundaries of 

National Forest System lands. The corridor where management direction applies consists of the visible 

foreground, which is generally one-half mile in width either side of the centerline of the trail, including 

viewpoints, water sources, campsites, and spur trails to these features. Pacific Northwest Trail Corridor 

also shown on small maps for information, but is subject to change. 

Kettle Crest Special Interest Area*

*Overlaps with other management areas

(Alternatives P and O)

Special interest areas (SIAs) are a category of administratively designated special areas with outstanding 

special characteristics or unique values. These unique values consist of scenic, geological, botanical, 

zoological, paleontological, historical, or recreational values. SIA management areas overlay other 

management areas. For example, a special interest area could also be managed for Focused or General 

Restoration. If there are management area guidance conflicts, the most protective guidance will apply. 

Management area emphasis would be to ensure protection of the values for which the area is designated.