(a) Decision document approving a new plan, plan amendment, or revision. The responsible official shall record approval of a new plan, plan amendment, or revision in a decision document prepared according to Forest Service NEPA procedures (36 CFR part 220). The decision document must include:
(1) The rationale for approval;
(2) A statement of how the plan, plan amendment, or plan revision applies to approved projects and activities (§ 219.15);
(3) The documentation of how the best available scientific information was used to inform planning, the plan components, and other plan content, including the plan monitoring program (§ 219.3);
(4) The concurrence by the appropriate research station director with any part of the plan applicable to any experimental forests or experimental ranges (§ 219.2(b)(4)); and
(5) The effective date of the plan, amendment, or revision.
(b) Decision document for a new plan or plan revision. In addition to meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, the decision document must include an explanation of how the plan components meet the sustainability requirements of § 219.8, the diversity requirements of § 219.9, the multiple use requirements of § 219.10, and the timber requirements of § 219.11.
(c) Decision document for a plan amendment. In addition to meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section, the decision document must explain how the responsible official determined:
(1) The scope and scale of the plan amendment; and
(d) Planning records.
(1) The responsible official shall keep the following documents readily accessible to the public by posting them online and through other means: assessment reports (§ 219.6); the plan, including the monitoring program; the proposed plan, plan amendment, or plan revision; public notices and environmental documents associated with a plan; plan decision documents; and monitoring evaluation reports (§ 219.12).
(2) The planning record includes documents that support analytical conclusions made and alternatives considered throughout the planning process. The responsible official shall make the planning record available at the office where the plan, plan amendment, or plan revision was developed.
[77 FR 21260, Apr. 9, 2012, as amended at 81 FR 90738, Dec. 15, 2016]