Opinion ID: 167714
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: National Forest Management Act's requirements

Text: 8 The National Forest Management Act of 1976 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to develop, maintain, and, as appropriate, revise land and resource management plans for units of the National Forest System. 16 U.S.C. § 1604(a). The Forest Service, which manages the national forest system, develops land and resource management plans pursuant to the National Forest Management Act. The National Forest Management Act also requires that forest plans provide for diversity of plant and animal communities based on the suitability and capability of the specific land area. Id. § 1604(g)(3)(B). 9 The Project is located in the Dixie National Forest in Utah. Management activities of the Dixie National Forest are governed by the Dixie National Forest Plan (the Plan), adopted in 1986. The Plan includes both a habitat approach (which incorporates habitat management recommendations to preserve and maintain suitable habitat) and a population trend monitoring approach (which includes species population assessments) for insuring the viability of old growth species in compliance with the National Forest Management Act. See 16 U.S.C. § 1604(f)(1). For individual management actions within a forest, all relevant resource plans, contracts, and permits must be consistent with a forest's overall land management plan. Id. § 1604(i).