INF news release

BISHOP, Calif. The Inyo National Forest is releasing their final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the revised land management plan, under the provisions of the 2012 planning rule.

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This Final EIS will be published in the Federal Register on Friday, September 20 for a 30-day review period. The 2019 land management plan will be available for reference on the forest website by September 20. The Record of Decision, which approves the final plan, can be signed at the end of the review period. The approved plan will provide guidance for managing 2 million acres of the forest’s resources for the next 10-15 years.

The forest supports about 3,400 jobs in recreation, tourism and generating electricity and clean water and generates an estimated $119 million of annual labor income. The revised plan continues to provide benefits to local economies and guides grazing, mining and renewable energy. More than four million people visit the Inyo National Forest each year.

The plan recognizes that fire is integral to forest health, while still taking proactive measures to protect communities and mitigate smoke impacts, which affects residents, visitors, and tourism. The plan also strikes a balance of treating fuels, protecting our communities from wildfire, and allowing fire to provide ecological benefits, including fuel reduction, when safe to do so.

Every national forest is required by federal law to have a land management plan that is periodically revised with public involvement. The Inyo National Forest has worked with the public, area tribes, and local, state and federal agencies since 2012 to revise its plan. Public input shaped direction for recreation, aquatic resources, eligible wild and scenic rivers, and species of conservation concern.

The Final EIS includes the analysis of the five alternatives considered, including the No Action alternative that continues existing land management direction, and four action alternatives.

“In 1907 the Inyo National Forest was established to protect lands that provide clean water to Los Angeles,” said Forest Supervisor Tammy Randall-Parker. “Since then the forest has become an international destination for people seeking exceptional landscapes and recreation opportunities. The revised plan will help balance these uses with maintaining a healthy forest.”

The Inyo National Forest will host an Open House for any interested public on October 2, 2019, 5:00-6:30 pm at Cerro Coso Community College in Bishop, CA.

More about the Final EIS and its associated documents can be found on-line:https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/inyo/landmanagement/planning.

 

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