Attachment 2:  Survey and Manage Talking Points

The decision to conduct an Environmental Assessment and a longer term analysis on the Survey and Manage (S&M) and Protection Buffer aspects of the Northwest Forest Plan (NFP) will require outreach efforts with employees and key constituents. (See Q&A for explanation of Protection Buffer species; for simplicity, we will only refer to S&M in the rest of this document.) It is important to proactively outline the schedule for the planning effort, while at the same time developing the context why BLM and the Forest Service are approaching the S&M issue in this way. BLM and the Forest Service should frame this decision as strengthening the NFP's protection of important species, while at the same time guaranteeing federal timber sales over the long term.

Complexities/Challenges

• The NFP attempts to provide protection for species with little known information; this has proven to be very difficult
• Current NFP lawsuit
• Potential for negative reaction to delay in timber sales
• Potential for opposition to BLM/Forest Service decision on the National Environmental Policy Act planning effort to change the S&M schedule
• Employee morale issues with changes in work priorities
• Potential for critics to point at this process as a flaw in the plan (timber sales stopped, no adaptive management, too complex, too expensive)

Internal
CA/OR/WA BLM and Forest Service employees - We need to provide employees with the timing, scope, and issues associated with the decision on the S&M issue. This needs to occur soon.

External Publics
Key constituents - A "no surprise" contact with key timber industry, environmental, and elected officials.

ACTIONS: Each BLM District and Forest communicate with key constituent groups. Congressional contacts would be initiated by Forests and the BLM State Office.

ACTIONS: BLM Districts and Forests immediately send a letter to key constituent and planning mailing lists outlining the S&M process and providing an opportunity to receive more information. (The sample letter appears at the end of this attachment.)

Media - BLM and the Forest Service develop common language to be used in separate news releases which would allow the agencies to discuss how the planning effort and outcomes will be incorporated into and impact the respective agencies.

ACTIONS: Key natural resource reporters contacted prior to the announcement to start to frame the context of the decision and impacts to BLM and the Forest Service. The announcement of the environmental analysis (and team leaders) is a good opportunity to send a news release and encourage public comment.

Key Messages

• The NFP seeks to "achieve a balanced and comprehensive policy that recognizes the importance of the forest and timber to the economy and jobs in the region . . . [and] preserve our precious old-growth forests" (President Clinton, April 2, 1993). To achieve this balance, the NFP established land use allocations and standards and guidelines for management actions.

• "Survey and Manage" is a standard and guideline developed to improve the likelihood of maintaining viable populations of rare or little know species thought to be associated with late-successional or old-growth forests. BLM and Forest Service researchers and scientists have developed methods to survey and manage more than 300 S&M species including amphibians, red tree voles, great gray owls, mollusks, bryophytes, fungi, and lichens. Guidance for other taxonomic groups is in progress. However, there are a group of 33 species for which we have been unable to develop effective survey techniques, either because they cannot be identified in the field; only a very few, highly trained specialists can identify these species; or it takes many years of looking at the area to prove the absence of these species.

• We are looking for the best ways to manage all of these species (including the 33 for which surveys are not feasible) while providing goods and services from federal forests. We have determined that surveying with little likelihood of success of finding these species is not a very efficient way of gathering information to develop plans to manage these species. Changing the schedule for a year will allow us to develop better ways of surveying for these species (including further work on species taxanomy, increased training in field identification, and moving these species to a more appropriate survey strategy). Federal scientists have determined that there is little estimated risk to these species from a change in schedule. Preparing an environmental assessment on the change in schedule will provide the public with an opportunity to comment on this proposal and provide any additional information on these species.

• We will be doing additional analysis to determine the best way to manage all 400 S&M species, including how to best maintain the viability of these species and support a stable supply of timber from federal forests in the NFP area.

• None of the S&M species are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

• The BLM Districts and National Forests have met the requirements of the S&M mitigation measures.

Background Points

• The S&M Standard and Guideline is a mitigation measure for 400+ species, whose presistence in the range of the NFP was thought to be a risk. Because little information existed on these species, the NFP developed four S&M strategies: (1) manage known sites; (2) survey before ground-disturbing activities; (3) conduct extensive surveys to locate high priority sites for management; and (4) conduct general regional surveys to acquire additional information. The 400+ species were allocated into one or more of these survey strategies.

• The NFP requires survey protocols to be developed to provide consistent methods to survey for these species. The NFP also has different dates that Strategy 2 species surveys are scheduled to begin. For example, surveys before project implementation were required in FY 1997 for amphibians and red tree voles; and the field has been surveying for these species before ground-disturbing activities.

• The Record of Decision requires surveys prior to ground-disturbing activities for an additional 80 species in FY 1999. However, surveys are not technically feasible at this time for 33 species of mollusks, mosses, and fungi because: (1) they cannot be identified in the field; (2) only a very few, highly trained specialists can identify these species; or (3) it takes many years of looking at the area to prove the absence of these species. Agency scientists have determined that delaying surveys for these species for one year would not substantially increase the risk to these 33 species.

• The federal agencies propose that the survey schedule be delayed one year for these 33 for which surveys are not technically feasible. Pre-project surveys would be completed for the 47 species for which surveys are feasible. Management of known sites would also continue. This proposal will be analyzed and public input solicited through an Environmental Assessment.

• A delay in these surveys would allow a substantial portion of the FY 1999 planned projects, including prescribed fire and timber sales, to be accomplished.

• Additionally, the federal agencies will begin work on evaluating the need for long-term changes to S&M such as addressing survey feasibility, possibly changing the survey strategies for some of these species, clarifying the way species will be evaluated and survey strategies determined, and strengthening the adaptive management aspects of this program. The public will be involved in issue identification and review of these proposals.

Questions and Answers