Forest ServiceForest ServiceFS_7a2fe3d9-a57a-4cbf-bc5b-fa16788b9c2cSustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. _c701c129-8cef-4059-8172-08b709fcd846EcosystemsCare for the Nation’s forest and grassland ecosystems.WorkforceVaried skills and contributions of a diverse workforce.AccountabilityAccountability by every employee for the efficient management of the capital resources he or she uses.ResponsivenessResponsiveness to national and local interests.FutureFocus on the needs of future generations.Forests and GrasslandsRestore, Sustain, and Enhance the Nation’s Forests and Grasslands_d77bce19-dec7-48bd-9974-ddaccc003f5f1Outcome: Forests and grasslands with the capacity to maintain their health, productivity, diversity, and resistance to unnaturally severe disturbance. Overview: The national forests and grasslands were established to protect the land, secure favorable waterflows, and provide a sustainable supply of goods and services. Even before the creation of the Forest Service, the USDA was responsible for providing land management assistance to the States and private forest landowners. Over the past century, the Forest Service has achieved a balance between providing land stewardship services and meeting public demands for various uses of the NFS. Despite past successes, challenges persist. In recent years, people have become more aware of forest disturbance. The increasing extent and frequency of uncharacteristically severe wildland fires and insect and disease outbreaks have been of particular concern to the public, the Administration, Congress, and land management agencies. To achieve this goal and restore the resiliency of our forest and grassland ecosystems, the Forest Service will focus its efforts on the following objectives. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 1: • Develop and apply detection, prediction, prevention, mitigation, treatment, and restoration methods, technologies, and strategies for addressing disturbances (e.g., wildfire, pests, extreme events).• Provide technical and financial assistance to communities to reduce their risk from wildfire through neighborhood preparation, prevention, education, increased fire suppression self-sufficiency, and community wildfire protection plans.• Assess the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of global environmental change to the Nation’s forests and grasslands.• Improve firefighting training programs for the safe, efficient, and effective initial attack and suppression of wildfire.• Use best management practices and scientific results when implementing ground-disturbing or management activities.• Maintain resilient land and water conditions at the watershed level and restore deteriorated lands and waters (e.g., abandoned mine lands).• Develop and implement conservation strategies to conserve endangered, threatened, and other at-risk species. • Monitor the status of congressionally designated areas and manage them to protect and enhance the values for which they were designated.• Improve the efficiency of land management treatments that provide for the use of woody biomass.• Establish and implement environmental management systems on national forests, grasslands, and prairies.Wildfire Risk ReductionReduce the risk to communities and natural resources from wildfire. _47d8a83b-5206-4b2e-ac75-70ce25dcb5a91.1a. Performance Measure: Number and percentage of acres treated to restore fire-adapted ecosystems that are (1) moved toward desired conditions and (2) maintained in desired conditions. 1. 2006 Baseline: 991,000 acres (39 percent); 2012 Target: 1.6 million acres (40 percent). 2. 2006 Baseline: 830,000 acres (33 percent); 2012 Target: 2 million acres (50 percent).b. Performance Measure: Number of acres brought into stewardship contracts.2006 Baseline: 57,500 acres; 2012 Target: 150,000 acres.Wildfire SuppressionSuppress wildfires efficiently and effectively._f7b01952-148d-422a-a684-942dfa534c2a1.2a. Performance Measure: Percentage of fires not contained in initial attack that exceed a stratified cost index.2006 Baseline: 24 percent; 2012 Target: 14 percent.Wildfire CapacityBuild community capacity to suppress and reduce losses from wildfires._d96357d2-5e7d-47e2-bed3-f8ddebd7e0181.3a. Performance Measure: Percentage of acres treated in the wildland-urban interface that have been identified in community wildfire protection plans or equivalent plans.2006 Baseline: 17 percent; 2012 Target: 50 percent.Pests, Diseases, and Other Adverse ImpactsReduce adverse impacts from invasive and native species, pests, and diseases. _8490f78f-a029-4984-a1ef-7f7b6f3a8f871.4a. Performance Measure: Percentage of priority acres restored and/or protected from invasive species on Federal and cooperative program lands.2002 Baseline: 90 percent; 2012 Target: 90 percent. Watersheds and HabitatsRestore and maintain healthy watersheds and diverse habitats._63206ce7-062a-4238-a15f-a115b1886c3e1.5a. Performance Measure: Percentage of watershed in class 1 condition. 2005 Baseline: 30 percent; 2012 Target: 32 percent. b. Performance Measure: Acres and miles of terrestrial and aquatic habitat restored consistent with forest plan direction.2005 Baseline: 642,000 terrestrial acres; 2012 Target: Increase by 5 percent annually.2005 Baseline: 4,600 stream miles; 2012 Target: Increase by 5 percent annually.2005 Baseline: 18,000 lake acres; 2012 Target: Increase by 5 percent annually. c. Performance Measure: Percentage of acres needing reforestation or timber stand improvement that were treated.2005 Baseline: 13 percent; 2012 Target: 20 percent.Public BenefitsProvide and Sustain Benefits to the American People_49fa0e8e-db7d-4a07-9c98-9f94c49b9dc42Outcome: Forests and grasslands with sufficient long-term multiple socioeconomic benefits to meet the needs of society. Overview: This strategic goal and its associated objectives focus on the portion of the agency’s mission related to sustaining the productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. Our forests and grasslands contain abundant natural resources and opportunities that help meet the demands and needs of the American people. Sustainable management of these resources ensures that the availability of goods and services continues into the future and that land productivity is maintained. The forest reserves that formed the base of the NFS were created in 1897 for the purposes of improving and protecting land, securing favorable waterflows, and providing a continuous supply of timber. The Multiple-Use Sustained Yield Act of 1960 directed that the national forests be administered for outdoor recreation, rangeland, timber, watershed, and wildlife and fish. National forest management provides a variety of use opportunities while maintaining wildlife diversity, supplies of wood products, energy sources and transmission infrastructure, wildlife and domestic livestock forage, water supplies, and other goods and services. Primarily through State and Private Forestry programs, the Forest Service provides technical and financial assistance for natural resource management and the sustainable use of resources on non-Federal lands in the United States. International technical assistance is also provided. Our research provides a solid scientific foundation for the sustainable management of forests and grasslands and improvements in the use and marketing of forest products and services. During this strategic planning period, the following objectives will be our major focus for accomplishing this goal. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 2: • Provide access to natural resources to meet the Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs.• Develop and disseminate technologies and market strategies to produce energy and products from renewable forest and rangeland resources.• Monitor changes in U.S. natural resource-based markets in response to globalization and provide information to decisionmakers and the public.• Inventory, model, and monitor potential and actual levels of sustainable forest products from forest land to strengthen forest product markets and improve the use of wood products.• Develop tools and provide technical and financial assistance to increase the production of energy from woody biomass.• Effectively manage and maintain the infrastructure to support the products, services, and uses of NFS lands.• Increase the efficiency of decisions about Special Use Permits for NFS lands.• Target landowner planning, technical, and financial assistance programs to priority forest areas.• Help State forestry agencies and other partners monitor, evaluate, and advance market-based approaches to enhance and protect ecosystem services on private and community lands.Forest ProductsProvide a reliable supply of forest products over time that (1) is consistent with achieving desired conditions on NFS lands and (2) helps maintain or create processing capacity and infrastructure in local communities._dbb71039-541c-4431-816b-f6dafb39e5732.1a. Performance Measure: Amount of wood fiber provided each year to help meet the Nation’s demand for forest products in an environmentally sustainable manner.2006 Baseline: 5.4 million CCF1; 2012 Target: 8.0 million CCF. b. Performance Measure: Number of green tons and/or volume of woody biomass from hazardous fuel reduction and restoration treatments on Federal land that are made available through permits, contracts, grants, agreements, or the equivalent. 2006 Baseline: N/A2; 2012 Target: 2.7 million green tons.Rangeland ProductsProvide a reliable supply of rangeland products over time that (1) is consistent with achieving desired conditions on NFS lands and (2) helps support ranching in local communities._a8deb11c-410f-4b6d-8f97-5260170fa7f22.2a. Performance Measure: Acres of national forests and grasslands under grazing permit that are sustainably managed for all rangeland products.2006 Baseline: 81.56 million acres; 2012 Target: 81.56 million acres. EnergyHelp meet energy resource needs._fdfe3dae-15b2-4263-b8c8-1a984b62a6552.3a. Performance Measure: Percentage of land Special Use Permit applications for energy-related facilities that are completed within prescribed timeframes.2005 Baseline: 50 percent; 2012 Target: 50 percent. b. Performance Measure: Percentage of energy-mineral applications that are processed within prescribed timeframes.2006 Baseline: 45 percent; 2012 Target: 55 percent.Conservation and StewardshipPromote market-based conservation and stewardship of ecosystem services._30d70fcc-fb05-45e0-ac83-d4b4be27753d2.4a. Performance Measure: Number of States that have agreements with the Forest Service to help private forest landowners market ecosystem services.2006 Baseline: 1 State; 2012 Target: 14 States.Open SpaceConserve Open Space_5cedf632-3dec-4e92-bb6c-bb99fe725b573Outcome: Maintain the environmental, social, and economic benefits of forests and grasslands by reducing and mitigating their conversion to other uses. Overview: Open space provides many environmental, social, and economic benefits to rural and urban communities. Undeveloped forests and grasslands, including working farms, ranches, and timber lands, help protect water quality, conserve native wildlife, and provide renewable timber and nontimber products, places to recreate, and scenic beauty. These "green spaces" elevate home values and generate jobs and economic vitality. Current population growth trends show a steady loss of these vital open spaces to developed uses. The Forest Service, in partnership with State forestry agencies, annually helps communities develop sustainable urban and community forestry programs. Communities use urban forest management plans to help mitigate the impacts of existing and new developments on open space. Urban forest management plans, derived from urban tree and forest resource inventories, include protection and management recommendations that become key components of community development and open-space planning. During this strategic planning period, the following objectives will be our major focus for accomplishing this goal. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 3: • Monitor land use change and develop tools to predict and evaluate the interaction between public lands and other ownerships across the rural-urban continuum.• Develop and disseminate management strategies to mitigate habitat loss and fragmentation impacts on plant and animal communities at the landscape level.• Promote strategic conservation and environmentally sensitive development planning in and adjacent to communities to preserve and restore forested landscapes and urban tree cover.• Identify those lands that are most at risk for conversion and those that are most important for providing public benefits and take the following actions:• Acquire land adjacent to or near NFS lands through purchase, conveyance, boundary adjustments, and donations to protect priority forest areas. • Protect private forests in partnership with States through permanent conservation easements and land acquisition (e.g., the Forest Legacy Program).• Continue NFS grazing permits to maintain associated base properties as sustainable working ranches. • Provide technical assistance to landowners to accomplish the following goals:• Increase the economic viability of private forest lands with income derived from the marketing of forest products, woody biomass, ecosystem services, and recreation.• Develop forest stewardship plans to identify sustainable management goals and practices for landowners’ land.• Increase landowners’ understanding of forest taxation and estate-planning strategies.• Promote community planning for sustainable tourism and recreation that provide economic incentives to maintain open space lands.• Provide educational, technical, and financial assistance to urban communities and urban/suburban landowners to restore environmental services through urban forestry, agroforestry, and "green infrastructure" approaches.• Coordinate national forest plan revisions with local land-use plans to minimize the impacts of new and existing developments on NFS resources and management activities.Forest and Grassland ProtectionProtect forests and grasslands from conversion to other uses._65e441e3-f63c-4586-8025-e5cf66b3bab73.1 a. Performance Measure: Acres of environmentally important forests and grasslands protected from conversion.2006 Baseline: 1.36 million acres; 2012 Target: 2 million acres.Private Forests and GrasslandsHelp private landowners and communities maintain and manage their land as sustainable forests and grasslands. _d275a777-b56c-41cc-bc6c-d71cec59102e3.2a. Performance Measure: Acres of nonindustrial private forest land that are being managed sustainably under forest stewardship management plans.2007 Baseline: 1.76 million acres; 2012 Target: 2 million acres.Outdoor RecreationSustain and Enhance Outdoor Recreation Opportunities_2b7e25aa-37a8-4f83-80ef-29158e7f95a14Outcome: A variety of high-quality outdoor recreational opportunities on the Nation’s forests and grasslands are available to the public. Overview: The Forest Service is challenged with sustaining adequate high-quality outdoor recreational experiences to meet the Nation’s needs while maintaining the ecological integrity of national forests and grasslands. The Nation’s population is projected to increase by nearly 50 percent by the middle of this century. The combination of increasing populations and the continued decline of public access to privately owned forest land creates extensive pressure on public lands to provide more recreational opportunities. If public lands are to provide additional recreational benefits without unacceptable resource impacts, we must emphasize effective management solutions that have a solid scientific foundation. The condition of the land, recreation facilities, and transportation infrastructure, including off-highway-vehicle access, must be considered if we expect to preserve high-quality recreation experiences. We must maintain specially designated protected areas. We must continue to work with our partner volunteers, nongovernmental organizations, other agencies, and the private sector if we are to achieve acceptable results. During this strategic planning period, the following objectives will be our major focus for accomplishing this goal. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 4: • Provide tools, guidance, and resource management to provide safe recreation use and to prevent or mitigate the ecological impacts of recreation activities (including off-highway vehicle impacts).• Improve our understanding of the relationship between the quality of the recreation experience and the quality of the environment to help managers optimize recreational opportunities and investments.• Develop the tools necessary to protect and sustain designated wilderness areas and the ecological and social values derived from designated wilderness areas.• Develop information about visitor trends, behavior, and experiences to help managers and communities provide the recreation services and benefits that visitors seek.• Provide recreational opportunities consistent with an area’s physical, biological, and social characteristics and capabilities.• Acquire and provide appropriate access to recreational opportunities.• Efficiently and effectively manage and maintain recreational opportunity infrastructure while protecting public health and safety (including facility reconstruction and decommissioning, where appropriate).• Maintain and improve a user-fee program.• Use private, nongovernmental, and interagency partnerships to accomplish collaborative community recreation/tourism plans.Quality and AvailabilityImprove the quality and availability of outdoor recreation experiences. _cfad81ae-6627-443e-afc5-a071d532d64c4.1a. Performance Measure: Percentage of recreation sites maintained to standard.2005 Baseline: 65 percent; 2012 Target: 81 percent. b. Performance Measure: Percentage of total recreation capacity at developed recreation sites that meets accessibility standards.2006 Baseline: 10 percent; 2012 Target: 30 percent. c. Performance Measure: Percentage of trails that meet national quality standards.2006 Baseline: 60 percent; 2012 Target: 60 percent. d. Performance Measure: Percentage of customers who are satisfied with recreational facilities, services, and settings.2004 Baseline: 80 percent; 2012 Target: 85 percent. e. Performance Measure: Percentage of road system intended for passenger-car use that is suitable for passenger-car use.32006 Baseline: 29 percent; 2012 Target: 75 percent.Rights-of-WaySecure legal entry to national forest lands and waters._dd249f2b-ebeb-4ebb-a18b-1f9c37a64d684.2a. Performance Measure: Percentage of high-priority access rights-of-way acquired. 2007 Baseline: 90 percent; 2012 Target: 95 percent.Off-Highway VehiclesImprove the management of off-highway vehicle use. _822be100-ec0e-46f9-a818-b3315fc832db4.3a. Performance Measure: Percentage of NFS lands covered by new motor vehicle use maps reflecting a designated-use system of roads, trails, and areas. 2002 Baseline: 0 percent; 2012 Target: 100 percent.Management CapabilitiesMaintain Basic Management Capabilities of the Forest Service_ecf4925d-c047-4882-ba77-46ad19d115105Outcome: Administrative facilities, information systems, and landownership management with the capacity to support a wide range of natural resource challenges. Overview: Natural resources are affected by a wide range of forces, including natural events, overuse, and various management activities. The Forest Service maintains a workforce with the skills and capabilities to deal with the impacts of these events. Reliable information, quality facilities, and land protection are necessary to effectively manage natural resources in a perpetual state of change. During this strategic planning period, the following objectives will be our major focus for accomplishing this goal. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 5: • Recruit and train personnel to develop and maintain strong technical and leadership skills in Forest Service program areas to meet current and future challenges.• Increase interagency efforts such as "Service First" to jointly develop and share employee skills across agency lines.• Retrain existing employees or recruit new personnel to meet new workforce needs when the current workforce does not possess necessary skills.• Refine career development guidance and training programs for entry-level professionals.• Develop tools and provide knowledge management training to Forest Service employees to improve their capacity to develop and sustain partnerships.• Continue to cooperate with other Federal, State, and local government units, tribes, and private-sector partners.• Manage and protect the public’s ownership rights and the interests of the NFS.Accountability, Planning, Data and TechnologyImprove accountability through effective strategic and land-management planning and efficient use of data and technology in resource management._4c40de80-9e18-4d28-9fe4-47b435dfb9695.1 a. Performance Measure: Percentage of selected data in information systems that is current to standard.2006 Baseline: 44 percent; 2012 Target: 100 percent.AdministrationImprove the administration of national forest lands and facilities in support of the agency’s mission._dcdb0104-248e-464a-be36-c5e0d2c40a4a5.2 a. Performance Measure: Percentage of administrative facilities that are being maintained to standard.2006 Baseline: 64 percent; 2012 Target: 75 percent. b. Performance Measure: Percentage of newly reported encroachments and title claims administered to standard.2006 Baseline: 60 percent; 2012 Target: 90 percent.Urban ProgramsEngage Urban America with Forest Service Programs_3d261436-bde3-4516-8ad4-2d26fa953d686Outcome: Broader access by Americans to the long-term environmental, social, economic, and other types of benefits provided by the Forest Service. Overview: The three branches of the Forest Service collectively contribute to an integrated program of natural resources stewardship to better connect urban residents to the value of well-managed public and private forested lands and improve their quality of life. The Forest Service works to promote understanding and beneficial management of the urban forest. We support conservation education, community "greening" efforts, and programs that provide youth with opportunities to volunteer in tree planting and urban forest inventory activities in their neighborhoods and visit national forests and grasslands. We work closely with a variety of partners at the Federal, State, and local levels to improve our understanding of what urban residents think of and want from their local parks, nearby woodlands, and national forests to build productive relationships with urban neighbors. Through partnerships among the Forest Service, other Federal agencies, and State and local organizations, we build connections between rural and urban communities. During this strategic planning period, the following objectives will be our major focus for accomplishing this goal. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 6: • Continue urban forest inventory and analysis to monitor the health and benefits of ecological and social services of urban forests and more effectively manage these complex landscapes.• Develop and disseminate strategies and options such as "green infrastructure" to effectively manage resources to maintain environmental quality and services in urban and urbanizing landscapes.• Help communities increase professional urban forestry staffing, ordinances, management plans, and local advisory and advocacy groups for managing forest resources in cities, suburbs, and towns.• Develop and disseminate tools to ensure that urban trees and forests are strategically planned and managed to maximize ecosystem services and benefits.• Engage partners and educators in the development, distribution, and use of high-quality conservation education materials and interpretive programs.• Develop methods to measure environmental literacy and techniques to engage urban residents in the management of urban forests.• Improve access by urban Americans to Forest Service resources and information.• Develop partnerships with nontraditional partners to engage urban and underserved audiences.Conservation EducationPromote conservation education to increase environmental literacy through partnerships with groups that benefit and educate urban populations._5856a4cc-5363-4c02-a27e-9ea7588b80eb6.1 a. Performance Measure: Number of people who annually participate in Forest Service environmental literacy programs and activities.2005 Baseline: 2.5 million people; 2012 Target: 3.2 million people.Urban and Community ForestsImprove the management of urban and community forests to provide a wide range of public benefits._61ba8cda-998d-4c1e-ad6f-b4b1d7c0ad356.2 a. Performance Measure: Number of communities with developing or established urban and community forestry programs resulting from Forest Service assistance.2006 Baseline: 6,564 communities; 2012 Target: 10,000 communities.Applications and ToolsProvide Science-Based Applications and Tools for Sustainable Natural Resources Management_862ae5f2-5678-4bf6-8fe2-f40345f8ff217Outcome: Management decisions are informed by the best available science-based knowledge and tools. Overview: The Forest Service provides science and technology solutions for clients’ and partners’ priority issues in ways they find effective and useful for sustainably managing forests and grasslands. To accomplish this goal, Research and Development (R&D) and Technology and Development (T&D) Centers will focus on the following objectives in this strategic planning period.R&D Stations and T&D CentersIncrease the use of applications and tools developed by Forest Service R&D stations and T&D centers._5bdb5fde-2474-4354-880d-126b51a65da77.1a. Performance Measure: Customer satisfaction with R&D products and services.2005 Baseline: American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) 4 score of 72; 2012 Target: ACSI score of 75. b. Performance Measure: Number of patent applications filed, based on station and center discoveries, developments, and applications. 2005 Baseline: 10 applications; 2012 Target: 13 applications. Means and Strategies for Accomplishing Goal 7: • Develop and make available cost-effective methods for transferring scientific information, technologies, methods, and applications.• Provide information and science-based tools that are used by managers and policymakers. • Develop and implement effective processes for engaging users in all phases of R&D study development.• Develop and deploy analysis and decision-support systems.• Develop tools for evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of alternative management practices.• Ensure that current resource information is available to address the strategic, tactical, and operational business requirements of the agency.2006-10-012012-09-302010-02-08http://www.fs.fed.us/publications/strategic/fs-sp-fy07-12.pdfArthurColman (www.drybridge.com)colman@drybridge.com