I want to welcome you to the early phases of Land Management Plan Revision for the Lolo National Forest. The Lolo National Forest is an exceptional place, and it is my honor and privilege to be the Forest Supervisor for this landscape that is highly valued by so many people.
I know it will be both a challenging and deeply rewarding responsibility to facilitate this process and ultimately, decide on the framework that will guide this Forest for many years. We are excited and eager to invite the public, cooperators, stakeholders, and rightsholders into this process with us. This Forest Plan is not my plan. This will be our plan – a plan that we will craft together. We will implement, monitor, and seek to improve it over time, together. As we begin this process, I am asking for your help in the form of engagement, patience, and expertise. Your collective engagement in collaborative groups will identify common issues and shared values. Your engagement in complex issues will influence plan components and analyses. Your patience will help us navigate different levels of knowledge and experience that you all bring to this process. Your expertise will help all of us learn, as we all know much, but none of us knows everything.
Our team will be managing engagements to keep everyone focused on the same issue or process steps at the same time. To support effective collaboration and issue management across groups and interests, we need everyone moving together. Our team is prepared to share with you the most appropriate stage in the process for your engagement based on your interest. This will require some patience and a lot of communication. We intend to get to everyone at the right time and the appropriate venue.
There are many people, tribes, groups, governments, and organizations who will have input, suggestions, and proposals for the Forest Plan. My expectation is that everyone will be treated respectfully throughout this process.
This will be our collective challenge as we navigate divergent opinions, beliefs, and values in the context of the best available science and information, and in alignment with policy. We are accountable to each other for the outcomes of our engagements. My staff and I are excited to get this work underway. We all want to enjoy the Lolo National Forest and the range of benefits and services it has to offer and ensure this into the future. Please join me in this exciting and challenging work!
To sign up for updates, view the events calendar, and connect with our team please, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/lolo/planrevision.
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