Purpose: This memorandum documents and transmits recent Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) decisions to:

1. Rescind the Regional Ecosystem Office (REO) memorandum #1807, dated May 14, 2003, including delegations of RIEC authority to review proposed changes to NWFP standards and guidelines and land allocations; and
2. Revise the process for RIEC review of proposed amendments to Forest Service (FS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and resource management plans.

Background: The NWFP Record of Decision and Standards and Guidelines provide for coordination and review by the RIEC of proposed changes to standards and guidelines and land allocations established under the NWFP and incorporated in FS Forest plans or BLM District plans (Attachment 1).

Revised Process for RIEC Review of Proposed Plan Amendments: At their February 7, 2007 meeting, the RIEC approved a streamlined process for RIEC coordination and review. This process (Attachment 2) applies to proposed FS and BLM plan amendments that involve changes to standards and guidelines and land allocations established under the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The RIEC rescinded the REO memorandum dated May 14, 2003, thereby withdrawing prior delegations of authority with respect to review of such amendments. At the same time, the RIEC delegated authority to review plan amendments to remove or modify the survey and manage standards and guidelines to the Survey and Manage RIEC Subcommittee. (Current Subcommittee members include executives of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, FS, and BLM.)

Non-discretionary changes to standards and guidelines and land allocations (such as those mandated by Congress, the President, or courts) remain exempt from RIEC review. In addition, the RIEC interpretation regarding what constitutes a change in land allocation (Attachment 3) remains unchanged.

No actions were taken relative to coordination with the RIEC regarding proposed plan revisions (as distinguished from plan amendments). The RIEC expressed interest in facilitating such coordination on a case-by-case basis as needed.

Follow-up: All RIEC members are encouraged to notify appropriate individuals in their agency that the REO memorandum dated May 14, 2003 (including attachments) has been rescinded and replaced by this new memorandum (including attachments). If you have questions about this matter or need additional information, please contact your REO representative.

cc: REO reps; SMG

Attachments (3):

NWFP Excerpts (1p)
Review Process (1p)
Definition (1p)

NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN EXCERPTS
RIEC Review of Proposed Plan Amendments
August 2007

The following excerpts from the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) Record of Decision (ROD) and Standards and Guidelines (S&Gs) provide key background information regarding Regional Interagency Executive Committee (RIEC) review of proposed changes to NWFP standards and guidelines and land allocations incorporated in Forest Service forest and Bureau of Land Management district plans:

• "Where standards and guidelines specify review or approval by the REO, that office reviews, exempts from review, or designs and coordinates a review process, in order to provide recommendations to the RIEC. The RIEC may delegate authority to the REO." (ROD, p. 35)

• "Amendments of forest or district plans that would modify the standards and guidelines or land use allocations established by this Record of Decision will be coordinated through the RIEC and the REO established by the [MOU]. Although decisions concerning implementation or modification of these standards and guidelines are subject to review by these interagency groups, the [MOU] acknowledges the line authorities of individual agencies." (ROD, p. 58)

• "Decisions to change land allocations or standards and guidelines will be made only through the adoption, revision, or amendment of these documents following appropriate public participation, NEPA procedures, and coordination with the RIEC." (S&Gs, p. E-18)

• "The authority to change or amend those plans remains as specified in the applicable regulations. The amendments will be reviewed by the RIEC to assure consistency with the objectives of these standards and guidelines." (S&Gs, p. E-18)

REVIEW PROCESS
RIEC Review of Proposed Plan Amendments
August 2007

The 1994 Record of Decision (ROD) and Standards and Guidelines (S&Gs) for the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) and the 2001 Survey and Manage (S&M) ROD and S&Gs, specify RIEC review and coordination requirements for plan revisions and amendments. The following process applies to RIEC review of proposed plan amendments involving changes to S&Gs or land allocations established by those RODs and incorporated in Forest Service (FS) Forest or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) District plans

While the proposed amendments will be reviewed by the RIEC to assure consistency with the objectives of the relevant standards and guidelines, the authority to amend those plans remains with the individual agency as specified in applicable regulations. (NWFP S&Gs, E-18).

1. FS or BLM Line Officer submits information electronically to the RIEC Chair as follows:

• Request for RIEC review of proposed plan amendment.
• Description of proposed action and need for plan amendment.
• Consistency determination indicating whether the proposed amendment is consistent with the objectives of relevant NWFP S&Gs, including a description of which S&Gs were considered relevant, and the rationale for the determination.

2. RIEC Chair circulates a review package to RIEC members, allowing 30 days for comment.

3. RIEC executives provide comments electronically to the RIEC Chair within the 30 day timeframe; comments are optional. RIEC comments are intended to address the Line Officer’s consistency determination and rationale. Some proposals may generate interest in RIEC discussion, and individual executives are encouraged to arrange conference calls as needed to facilitate discussion among available RIEC members. All executives are encouraged to review proposals early in the review process, to ensure all comments are provided timely to the RIEC Chair. Comments received after the 30-day timeframe may not be considered.

4. RIEC Chair will forward RIEC comments (in their original form) to the FS or BLM Line Officer electronically via a RIEC transmittal memo, with copies to all RIEC members.

5. FS or BLM Line Officer addresses RIEC comments electronically via memo to RIEC Chair.

6. RIEC Chair transmits FS or BLM Line Officer response to comments to RIEC members, concluding RIEC review and coordination.

DEFINITION
RIEC Review of Proposed Plan Amendments
August 2007

"Change" to a land allocation: Not all adjustments or modifications to NWFP land allocations constitute a "change" subject to RIEC/REO review pursuant to the NWFP. A "change" in this context is a management decision to replace one NWFP land allocation with another on federal land at a specific geographic location. The following adjustments and modifications do not constitute land allocation changes in this context, and therefore are not subject to provisions in the NWFP regarding review of changes to land allocations:

• Map and data refinements to improve accuracy and delineation of land allocations, e.g., "snapping" to finer lines, vertical map integration, changes in grid size;

• Map and data interpretations such as those regarding federal lands which do not show as federal on a map;

• Map and data interpretations regarding illogical inclusions on a map, such as small areas of matrix within a large block of LSR;

• Map refinements of LSRs based on occupied marbled murrelet sites and known spotted owl activity centers, to conform to site delineation criteria and operationally identifiable features;

• Map and data corrections which are part of routine data management.

In addition, the initial adjustment from an interim Riparian Reserve width as originally prescribed by the NWFP to a more final width does not constitute a "change" subject to RIEC/REO coordination or review. (This follows because the specific process for making such adjustments does not provide for or contemplate RIEC/REO review.) However, once an initial adjustment has been made and documented through the appropriate NEPA decision-making process, subsequent adjustments to the same boundaries generally would be considered land allocation changes subject to review. Both initial and subsequent boundary adjustments should be made in accordance with appropriate standards and guidelines.

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