National Forest Management Act (NFMA)
The National Forest Management Act (NFMA) is a key piece of U.S. federal legislation aimed at the protection and sustainable management of national forests. Enacted on October 22, 1976, the NFMA was developed in response to concerns over aggressive logging practices that led to significant ecological damage, particularly in regions like the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The act established guidelines for tree management, water conservation, and the protection of endangered species, while prohibiting harmful practices such as clear-cutting that would permanently damage forest resources.
The NFMA mandates that the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture develop resource management plans for national forests, with assessments conducted every fifteen years. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining soil, water, and air quality, which are crucial for the health of forest ecosystems. While the legislation has succeeded in creating a framework for forest protection, it has faced criticism for its lack of specificity, leading to varied interpretations of management strategies. The NFMA represents a significant effort to balance ecological integrity with the diverse uses of forest lands, highlighting the ongoing challenge of conserving natural resources in the face of industrial demands.
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Subject Terms
National Forest Management Act (NFMA)
THE LAW: US federal legislation providing for the protection of national forests in regard to logging, cutting rates, and reforestation
DATE: Enacted on October 22, 1976
The National Forest Management Act represents an attempt to protect national forestlands from potential ecological damage by setting guidelines for tree maintenance, water issues, and species management. The act provides legal shelter for ancient forests and vulnerable animal groups.
The National Forest Management Act of 1976 (NFMA) was signed into law by President Gerald Ford. An amendment to the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, the legislation was passed largely as the result of controversial logging practices that had removed too many trees in given areas. The two locations that were most problematic were the Bitterroot National Forest in Montana and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. In 1972, Senator Frank Church of Idaho issued a report that resulted in a decline in clear-cutting in national forests and defined specific land categories that could not sustain any foresting. In addition, the Izaak Walton League of America sued to stop in the Monongahela National Forest. The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit agreed in 1975 that this type of foresting is problematic and banned clear-cutting in national forests.
Developed by foresters, representatives of the timber industry, members of Congress, and officials from the US Department of Agriculture and its Forest Service, the NFMA was written to serve several major purposes, including protection of the national forests and management of these lands so that they can be used for various reasons and offer sustained yields. The act put strict limits on clear-cutting, defined marginal lands and endangered species, and regulated timber management in marginal lands; it also included rules for the evaluation of species diversity and for the determination of tree age in regard to cutting. In addition, the act expanded protections of soil, water, and air resources in national forests, which had been especially affected by clear-cutting. It prohibited any timber harvesting practices that would result in the permanent destruction of these resources in the form of blocked watercourses, water temperature modifications, accumulations of sediment, or damage to fish habitats.
The NFMA requires the US secretary of agriculture to create plans for the resource management of each portion of the national forest system and to appraise the condition of all national forests every fifteen years. The main criticism of the NFMA has been that it lacks sufficient specific detail, and thus interpretations vary regarding the approaches to management planning that are required.
Bibliography
Blackman, Ted. “Forest Service Comes Down with a Case of the ʽWarm Fuzzies.’” Wood Technology 127, no. 1 (2000): 20.
Ellis, Donald J., and Jo Ellen Force. National Forest Planning and the National Forest Management Act of 1976: An Annotated Bibliography, 1976-1986. Bethesda, Md.: Society of American Foresters, 1988.
Hays, Samuel P. Wars in the Woods: The Rise of Ecological Forestry in America. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2007.
"History of Forest Planning." United States Forest Service, www.fs.usda.gov/main/planningrule/history. Accessed 21 July 2024.
Lawrence, Nathaniel S. W. “A Forest of Objections: The Effort to Drop NEPA Review for National Forest Management Act Plans.” Environmental Law Reporter 39, no. 7 (2009): 10651–10655.