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<br />I}003!J7 <br /> <br />SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST <br />LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN <br /> <br />The Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) will guide management on <br />the White River National Forest through the year 2030. The Forest Plan is <br />the proposed action or preferred alternative (Alternative A) referred to in <br />the preceding "Summary of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement." Many of <br />the objectives and outputs of the proposed Forest Plan were discussed in that <br />summary. Direction takes the form of goals, objectives, Forest standards and <br />guidelines, and management area direction. The Forest Plan provides a basis <br />for developing annual budget proposals to implement the projected schedule of <br />projects and activities. <br /> <br />The Forest Plan is a dynamic program for management of the Forest. It is <br />subject to revision on a 10-year cycle or at least every 15 years. The <br />Forest Plan becomes the springboard for accomplishing all future management <br />activities through annual work planning and budgeting. Continued monitoring <br />and evaluation will ensure that the intent of the Forest Plan is being carried <br />out and that ,future public needs can be accomplished. <br /> <br />The proposed Forest Plan (Alternative A, described in the previous section) <br />emphasizes outputs of developed recreation (including skiing, timber, and <br />range) while taking advantage of opportunities to i.ncrease dispersed recrea- <br />tion and wil.dlife habitat. Implementation of the Plan can be expected to <br />result in the following conditions on the Forest. <br /> <br />RESOURCE ELEMENT EMPHASIS <br /> <br />VEGETATION <br /> <br />The Forest's vegetation management program will be directed toward providing <br />improved wildlife habitat, increasing water yield, enhancing visual quality <br />in recreation areas, providing wood fiber, improving range conditions, and <br />increasing the Forest's resistance to insect and disease epidemics. An in- <br />tegrated program of commercial and non-commercial treatment in most vegetation <br />types is scheduled. Priority is placed on improving the Forest's vegetation <br />age class or structural stage distribution and resolving current vegetation <br />problems such as the mountain pine beetle epidemic. <br /> <br />This type of program will be required to begin the restoration of health <br />of the Forest's vegetation. A continuation of historic levels of vegetation <br />management would result in increased mortality and higher potential for <br />catastrophic change. <br /> <br />33 <br />