ALASKA-NEWS-RELEASE: Forest Service Hosts Juneau Roundtable on Development of New National Planning Rule

["Ray F Massey" <rmassey@xxxxxxxxx>]

NEWS RELEASE
USDA Forest Service
Alaska Region
         
      

Ray Massey        
               
               
                W
907.586.7876
rmassey@xxxxxxxxx      
               
               
         C 907.209.2094
March 26, 2010

USDA Forest Service Will Host Juneau
Roundtable on Development of the New National Planning Rule

      Juneau, Alaska–
Alaska Regional Forester Beth Pendleton announced today that Juneau will
host one of nine regional roundtables to provide an opportunity for public
discussion on the development of a new Forest Service Land and Resource
Management Planning Rule. In addition to the roundtable meeting in Juneau,
the Forest Service will host a national science forum, three national roundtables
and eight other regional roundtables.   

      Providing multiple
opportunities for public participation ties directly to President Obama’s
call for open government that is transparent, participatory and collaborative,
and illustrates Forest Service commitment to engage the public in the development
of a new planning rule.  Juneau’s roundtable will take place April
13, 2010, in Centennial Hall. To increase opportunities to participate
in the roundtable process, the Forest Service will host two separate sessions,
from 2-5 p.m. and from 6-8 p.m. Each session will be a distinct roundtable.
Both sessions are open to the general public.
      
      The Forest Service
encourages the public to visit the national web site for the planning rule
development process before attending a roundtable. The site can be found
at  http://fs.usda.gov/planningrule.
Even though the Juneau roundtables are open to the general public, the
agency requests that people interested in attending to register with roundtable
facilitator, Jan Caulfield, at janc@xxxxxxx or (907) 523-4610. Caulfield
can also describe how to participate via the web and telephone for those
people unable to travel to Juneau.

      "We encourage
broad public participation in our regional roundtables,” said Forest Service
Chief Tom Tidwell. "Through collaboration we will be able to better
address the current and future needs of the National Forest System such
as restoration, protecting watersheds, addressing climate change, sustaining
local economies, improving collaboration, and working across landscapes.”


      Summaries from
discussions in the science forum, national and regional roundtables, along
with the individual comments received during the 60-day formal comment
period on the Notice of Intent, will be used to develop the proposed rule
and a draft environmental impact statement.  


      To encourage widespread
participation in this process, the Forest Service is using new media tools
in conjunction with the public meetings. Please visit http://blogs.usda.gov/usdablogs/planningrule
to participate in the planning rule blog and sign up to follow the Forest
Service on Twitter at www.twitter.com/forestservice. 

      The mission of
the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity
of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and
future generations. The agency manages the 193 million acres of National
Forest System land, provides stewardship assistance to non-federal forest
landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in
the world. 

         
                     
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