Opinion ID: 751671
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Forest Service's Response

Text: 3 In 1987 the United States Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (FS), Regions 5 and 6, formed an Inter-regional Coordinating Group comprised of FS experts and representatives from the National Forests and the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Coordinating Group's goals included: (1) developing a coordinated inter-regional POC management program; (2) monitoring, evaluating and fine tuning the program; (3) recommending public and agency education programs; and (4) identifying and recommending research requirements, proposals and policies on the management of POC to the two Regional Foresters. The Coordinating Group developed a plan to accomplish these tasks entitled the POC Action Plan. 4 The POC Action Plan was developed by the Coordinating Group in response to the Forest Service's concern, and that of the public, for a comprehensive and integrated approach to managing POC in the presence of the fungus disease. The Plan covers four main areas of concern: (1) inventory and monitoring; (2) research and administrative study; (3) public involvement and education; and (4) management. The management section of the POC Action Plan identifies the following tasks: 5 (1) Continue to refine and update risk assessment model used in evaluating projects. 6 (2) Develop strategies for the management of the following activities: 7 -- Timber sales 8 -- Road construction and management 9 -- Reforestation and stand management 10 -- Other potentially earth moving activities in stands where a significant component is Port-Orford cedar 11 (3) Develop a system or method for sharing information. 12 In June 1988, the FS's Regional Foresters for Regions 5 and 6 approved and signed the POC Action Plan. Challenging the FS's failure to prepare an EIS prior to adoption and implementation of the POC Action Plan, NEC appealed the Agency's adoption of the POC Action Plan on August 18, 1988. Responding to NEC's appeal in a letter dated March 29, 1989, the Regional Foresters declared that under NEPA the POC Action Plan did not require an EIS because the Plan did not provide for specific actions, but merely represented the beginning of a planning process. On October 20, 1989, NEC's appeal was denied by the Deputy Chief of the FS, who stated: [t]he action plan does not represent a specific proposal with environmental consequences that can be meaningfully evaluated at this time. NEC then filed a complaint requesting injunctive and declaratory relief with the district court, challenging the FS's decision not to prepare an EIS. On March 19, 1991, following the district court's denial of NEC's request for a temporary restraining order, NEC voluntarily dismissed the action. 13 In October 1993, after reviewing the status and accomplishments of tasks under the Action Plan, members of the Coordinating Group found that 85% of the action items had been completed. In the fall of 1994, the FS reorganized the Coordinating Group into two teams: a POC Oversight Team, to make decisions on budgeting and prioritization of research and administrative projects, and a Technical Team, to share information, develop research and administrative projects, and provide technical advice. Following April, 1995 meetings, the Coordinating Group determined that the majority of the Action Plan's items had been accomplished and the POC Oversight Team notified the Regional Foresters of Regions 5 and 6 that the Action Plan had been completed and could be concluded.