The effectiveness of using collaboration to reduce project-levels appeals on National Forests in Oregon

Background/Question/Methods

Collaborative planning has been used as a tool to deal with natural resource problems and engage those affected by federal land management agency decisions. The United States Forest Service (USFS) is mandated by law to involve the public on project planning. In Oregon forest collaborative groups have been engaging with the USFS to involve stakeholders who are concerned with the activities on National Forests. It is generally believed by both USFS employees and collaborative group members that these groups are reducing project-level appeals; however, there is no empirical evidence to validate these beliefs. National Environmental Protect Act (NEPA) document data were collected from the USFS for years 2006 to 2012. Data from harvesting and fuels management activities were selected for six National Forests in central and eastern Oregon. These projects are of concern due to the large cumulative effect they have on National Forests ecosystems. Such effects include loss of habitat for protected species and carbon mitigation potential and can divide stakeholders, causing project appeals. To determine forest collaborative group involvement, NEPA document lists were sent to each of the ten groups and USFS employees.  Responses were compiled and log odds ratio analysis was run to determine the likelihood of an appeal of a NEPA document over time.

Results/Conclusions

The sample size of collaborative NEPA documents is relatively small and preliminary findings suggest that the forest collaborative groups are not reducing the likelihood of project-level appeals at either the large (entire study area) or small (individual National Forests) scale. When comparing the collaborative group’s response with the USFS response, a slight difference in log odds ratio was found. These results could be attributed to the age of the collaborative groups examined in this study. Personal communication and the data suggest it takes about two years post establishment before the collaborative group starts the collaborative planning process with the USFS. Further research will need to be conducted on a longer time scale in order to determine the true affect these forest collaborative groups are having on appeals.