Thanks to concerns expressed by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and others, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) withdrew plans to implement a nationwide rule to preserve old-growth forest conditions across all 128 of its forests’ land management plans.
RMEF submitted comments in 2024 that such a broad approach would greatly limit active forest management treatments, thus weakening the ability to enhance habitat for elk and other wildlife species. Concerns included:
- 94 percent of forest plans already have old-growth plan components
- More rulemaking would add redundant bureaucratic hurdles, making already difficult forest stewardship even more burdensome
- Individual unit level planning is better than broad brush implementation
- Overly prescriptive components open the USFS to inconsistent management and subsequent frivolous environmental litigation
- Take a more direct regional approach to planning
- Maintain a high-level framework
RMEF and the USFS are longtime partners having conserved or enhanced more than 3.8 million acres of habitat.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)