(2) 
ECOSYSTEM.—The 
term 
‘‘ecosystem’’
means a community of organisms and its environ-
ment that functions as a unit.
(3) 
ECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term
‘‘ecosystem management’’ means the integration of
ecological, economic, and social factors to meet the
biological needs of all associated organisms and
human needs through diverse, healthy, and produc-
tive ecosystems, addressing resource supply, con-
servation, and demand as opposed to a strategy for
managing individual species.
(4) ECOSYSTEM
MANAGEMENT
PLANS.—The
terms ‘‘ecosystem management plans’’ and ‘‘plans’’
mean the ecosystem management plans for National
Forest System lands in the State of California re-
quired to be developed by section 4(a).
(5) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM.—The term
‘‘National Forest System’’ has the meaning given
that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16
U.S.C. 1609(a)).
(6) SERAL STAGES.—The term ‘‘seral stages’’
means the various age or life stages of a vegetative
community as it progresses from initial establish-
ment toward a climax stage or equilibrium.
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Agriculture.
(8) STAND.—The term ‘‘stand’’ means an area
within a forest where the trees have similar charac-
teristics with respect to species composition, size,
condition, and age.
(9) VIGOR.—The term ‘‘vigor’’, with respect to
forest ecosystems, means the relative health of
stands of trees and related vegetation, including
their actual growth rates as compared with potential
growth rates and their ability to protect themselves
naturally from forest pests, diseases, and the effects
of natural disaster.
SEC. 4. ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PLANS FOR NATIONAL
FOREST SYSTEM LANDS IN CALIFORNIA.
(a) PLANS REQUIRED.—Notwithstanding the plan-
ning provisions of section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C.
1604), the Secretary of Agriculture shall develop and im-
plement ecosystem management plans pursuant to this
Act to develop and demonstrate ecosystem management,
including adaptive management techniques, for National
Forest System lands described in subsection (b).
(b) FEDERAL LANDS COVERED BY PLANS.—The eco-
system management plans required by subsection (a) shall
apply to all management units of the National Forest Sys-
tem located in the State of California. In the case of Na-
tional Forest System lands in California that have been
designated by law for special management before the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall incor-
porate into the ecosystem management plans applicable to
those lands any statutory provisions that are in effect on
such date and applicable to those lands.
(c) PRINCIPLES OF PLANS.—Ecosystem management
plans shall embody the following principles:
(1) Application of management techniques that
will enhance the health and vigor of the renewable
natural resources on the National Forest System
lands covered by the plans and provide for the con-
tinued protection of the soil, air, and water re-
sources of these lands.
(2) Improvement of the forest ecosystems on
these lands toward desired forest conditions that—
(A) provide a mosaic of forest seral
stages—
(i) representing a range of wildlife
habitats necessary to meet the needs of the
species indigenous to the ecosystem being
managed; and
(ii) designed in such a way as to obvi-
ate the need for corridors or special man-
agement areas to meet the needs of given
species or situations;
(B) minimize the danger of stand-destroy-
ing uncontrolled wildfire;
(C) increase or maintain the health and
vigor of stands at a level that will permit the
stands to resist naturally, to the greatest degree
practicable, insect and disease attacks and the
effects of other natural disasters while incor-
porating the concern that some level of dead-
wood, both standing and down, is desirable in
healthy ecosystems;
(D) maintain the sustainable economic
well-being and stability of communities in areas
dependent upon national forest resources; and
(E) are developed, to the extent possible,
with consideration of the conditions that are
known to have existed on these lands or on
similar lands before the impacts of European
settlement.
(3) Concentration of management activities on
the condition of the renewable resources of an eco-
system rather than on producing targeted outputs,
with projected outputs based upon attainment of
specific stand conditions.
(4) Emphasis on tangible management results
rather than on procedural standards and guidelines,
but with development of scientifically credible mon-
itoring standards and guidelines to assess both
short- and long-term management results.
(5) Except for any statutory provisions incor-
porated under subsection (b) with respect to specific
lands, prohibition on requiring the allocation or cat-
egorization of tracts of land for specific preselected
ecosystem management emphases.
(6) Consideration of the habitat needs of all
species across a broad landscape using management
indicator species whose presence will reflect a suit-
able amount and distribution of particular habitat
elements, rather than concentrating on the needs of
single species in a limited area.
(7) Application across the entire unreserved
land base in such a manner as to harmonize the var-
ious multiple uses.
(8) Incorporation of maximum flexibility in re-
source decisionmaking through the use of adaptive
management.
(d) MANAGEMENT TO PROMOTE DESIRED FOREST
CONDITIONS.—
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Ecosystem management
under the ecosystem management plans shall be
planned and practiced in a manner that—
(A) considers the entire landscape in a
management unit of the National Forest Sys-
tem covered by a plan; and
(B) benefits, to the extent practicable, all
renewable resources and the human resource in
or dependent upon the management unit.
(2) INDIVIDUAL
PROJECTS.—Individual man-
agement projects in a management unit of the Na-
tional Forest System covered by the ecosystem man-
agement plans shall be designed to provide
multiresource benefits, promote the desired forest
conditions described in subsection (c)(2), and
achieve maximum project operating efficiency.
(e) SELECTION OF ACRES FOR ECOSYSTEM MANAGE-
MENT ACTIVITIES.—
(1) MINIMUM ACRES.—Ecosystem management
plans shall specify the minimum number of acres on
which ecosystem management activities will be ap-
plied annually in any management unit of the Na-
tional Forest System covered by the plans. Such
acreage shall be determined on the basis of the total
number of acres in the management unit, the work
to be performed across the unit as a whole during
the plan period, and the pro rata annual acreage on
which ecosystem management activities must be ap-
plied in order to establish and maintain the desired
forest condition during the specified plan period.
(2) EFFECT OF NATURAL DISASTERS.—In case
of natural disasters, such as wildfire, flood,
windthrow, insect or disease attack, a revision of the
schedule of acres to be treated may be granted by
the Secretary in order to conduct restoration and re-
habilitation activities on the acres affected by the
natural disaster.
(f) PARTICIPATION IN DEVELOPMENT.—To ensure
that the ecosystem management plans are economically,
scientifically, and socially acceptable, the Secretary shall
develop the plans through the use of public involvement
programs that emphasize input from residents of local
communities to be affected by the plans. The Secretary
shall continue to consult with all interested persons in
evaluating or modifying the plans.
SEC. 5. PROCESS FOR FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF ECO-
SYSTEM MANAGEMENT PLANS.
(a) IMPLEMENTATION.—Beginning not later than
January 1, 1995, the Secretary shall begin to implement
the ecosystem management plans. The Secretary shall de-
velop and implement the plans progressively over a five-
year period to ensure full application of all plans not later
than January 1, 2000, to all National Forest System
lands described in section 4(b). Upon implementation of
an ecosystem management plan for any portion of the
lands described in such section, the plan shall replace and
supersede any land and resource management plan (or
portion of such a plan) then in effect for such lands.
(b) YEARLY EXPANSION.—During each year of the
period specified in subsection (a), the Secretary shall ex-
pand application of the ecosystem management plans to
contiguous areas required to be covered by such plans, as
described in section 4(b). To the extent the Secretary con-
siders it to be necessary, the Secretary may modify the
ecosystem management plans for each new addition in
order to incorporate the lessons gained from experience.
Adaptive management shall be used to evaluate manage-
ment decisions and to develop new information to be used
to keep the plans and subsequent management decisions
up-to-date.
(c) MODIFICATION
OF ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT
PLANS.—The Secretary shall modify the ecosystem man-
agement plans to incorporate findings from research,
adaptive management projects, or monitoring to the extent
such findings indicate changes in the plans are necessary
or appropriate to achieve the principles described in sec-
tion 4(c). Before the end of the first two years of the pe-
riod specified in subsection (a), the Secretary shall issue
regulations that set forth the process to be used for any
modification of the ecosystem management plans.
(d) CONSISTENCY.—Resource plans and permits and
other instruments for the use and occupancy of National
Forest System lands covered by an ecosystem manage-
ment plan that are executed subsequent to the implemen-
tation date of the plan with respect to such lands shall
be consistent with the plan. If the ecosystem management
plan is modified, resource plans and permits and other in-
struments that are executed subsequent to the date of the
modification shall be consistent with the modified plan.
Appropriate supplemental documents under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et
seq.) shall be prepared for those resource plans and per-
mits, contracts, and other instruments in existence upon
adoption of the ecosystem management plan or any modi-
fication of the plan. Any revisions in existing resource
plans and permits, contracts, and other instruments shall
be consistent with the supplemental document findings
and subject to the agreement of all contractual parties.
Any revision in present or future permits, contracts, and
other instruments made pursuant to this subsection shall
be subject to valid existing rights.
SEC. 6. RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAM.
The Secretary shall describe in detail in the eco-
system management plans and implement as part of the
plans a targeted program of research and monitoring
aimed at measuring the effects of the management re-
gimes adopted under the plans. The Secretary shall ensure
that monitoring is sufficient to measure the responses of
the various resources to management practices and to pro-
vide a basis for adjustments of subsequent management
decisions.
SEC. 7. MISCELLANEOUS REQUIREMENTS.
(a) INCREASED USE OF CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL
PRACTITIONERS.—With respect to National Forest Sys-
tem lands covered by the ecosystem management plans,
the Secretary shall endeavor to increase the amount of
field work to be done by professional practitioners certified
by the Forest Service.
(b) ACCOUNTABILITY PROCEDURES.—The Secretary
shall develop accountability procedures to annually meas-
ure and inform the Congress concerning the work (as de-
scribed in section 4(e)) achieved through the use of funds
appropriated each year for National Forest System lands
covered by the ecosystem management plans. The selection
of acres upon which such work will be performed shall be
controlled through the planning process. The accountabil-
ity procedures required by this subsection shall be estab-
lished and in operation before the end of the first two
years of the period specified in section 5(a) and shall be
designed to ensure the accomplishment of the work in ac-
cordance with plan direction.
(c) BUDGETARY CONSIDERATIONS.—The Secretary
shall develop budgets for each management unit of the
National Forest System covered by ecosystem manage-
ment plans on the basis of estimated benefits to the var-
ious resources affected by the ecosystem management ac-
tivities, and such budgets will be justified on such basis.
The Secretary shall provide the managers of these units
the flexibility to accomplish over-all objectives within over-
all budgets in lieu of requiring and preparing detailed line-
item budgets for each unit of work, except that account-
ability procedures developed under subsection (b) shall in-
clude requirements for detailed explanations of expendi-
tures and estimates of benefits for each resource.
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