By Mary Alice Murphy

Wednesday evening, at the Grant County Veterans Memorial Business and Conference Center, a group of at about 50 people gathered to hear about the assessment phase of the Gila National Forest Plan revision and to provide input.

Karen Yori, facilitator, introduced the new GNF Supervisor, Adam Mendonca (whose name is Portuguese and is pronounced Men-dohn-sa, he told the Beat).

"This plan is what drives everything we do," Mendonca said. "It will be used for the next 20-30 years. We will have the best product if we engage with the public."

Matt Schultz, GNF forest planner, gave an overview of the forest plan revision assessment phase, which is expected to last about a year before a draft is available for review.

He showed a graphic that, in words in various-sized fonts, summarized what the forest "heard" at its preliminary plan revision March meeting.

The largest words emphasized the greatest number of responses and concerns. They included trails, access, livestock, infrastructure, budgets, wildlife and fires.

"Our public participation strategy includes hearing from you," Schultz said. "It will be a living document that is expected to evolve."

He said the notice of the assessment phase initiation was published in the Federal Register in May.

"We have assembled a planning team, which will compile data and review existing plans," Schultz said. "We held internal meetings with each district and regional office. We have attended more than 20 organization meetings and community events to spread the word about the revision process.

"Tonight we want to create a common understanding of the Forest Plan and key assessment topics," Schultz continued. "We want to provide opportunities for stakeholders to share knowledge, plans and data for the assessment, and we want to continue dialogue between the forest and the surrounding communities."

He said the planning process uses the adaptive framework of planning, which is a circle of the complete process from early in the assessment phase, where the forest is now, through the revision process to the final monitoring phase.

The assessment process will address 15 important ecological, social and economic resource topics, answering the questions: What is the condition? What is the trend? And what is at risk? The planning team will gather and analyze all existing information and use the best available science, local information, national perspectives and native knowledge.

"The timeline to complete the assessment is one year from May 2015, the date of the Federal Register notice," Schultz said.

He asked and answered: "Why is the assessment important? It's the foundation for establishing the 'needs-for-change' to the 1986 Gila Forest Plan, which is the one the forest is operating under now. It will be the principal document that supports the plan revision and future management direction. It provides the opportunity for stakeholders to contribute information for later use in plan development."

He emphasized the assessment report is not a decision document.

Schultz listed the important ecological resources that would be assessed. They include ecosystems; air, soil and water resources; natural processes; carbon stocks, which analyzes the amount of carbon stored in the forest; and at-risk species. Important social and economic influences to be assessed include social, cultural and economic conditions; benefits people obtain from the Gila; multiple uses and their economic contributions; recreation; and energy and minerals. He explained multiple-use assessment would recognize grazing, timber and recreation.

"We need your help, because you have the knowledge and on-the-ground experience, and maybe even data," Schultz said.
Other important social and economic influences include infrastructure, areas of tribal importance, cultural and historical resources, land ownership and use, and existing designated areas.

Schultz presented a list of information sources, which includes many national, state, regional and local plans and data sources. "Please suggest other information sources or specific publications by noting them on the blank cards. We will consider government and non-government studies. We want to be thorough. We will also coordinate with other planning efforts. We will make a sincere effort to seek joint efforts."

He encouraged people to visit the website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gila/home/?cid=STELPRD3828671

"How can you help?" Schultz asked and answered. "Be an active participant in developing a future vision for the forest; tell us what you value about the forest; share your knowledge and data; and offer your ideas on forest management with us."

The people in the room divided into small group discussions to answer two questions: For the assessment topics that are most important to the person filling out the form, what current condition and trends has he or she seen on the Gila. The assessment topics included:
1) Ecosystems (terrestrial, riparian and aquatic)
2) Air, soil and water resources
Nnatural processes, including fire regimes
3) Carbon stocks
4) At-risk species, such as endangered species
5) Social, cultural and economic conditions
6) Benefits people obtain from the Gila Forest
7) Multiple uses and their economic contributions
8) Recreation
10) Energy and minerals
11) Infrastructure, including trails and campgrounds
12) Areas of tribal importance
13) Cultural and historical resources
14) Land ownership and use
15) Existing designated areas, such as the Gila Wilderness

The second question asked: What are the concerns associated with the conditions and trends mentioned, and what may be some of the opportunities in those areas?

The next steps of the process include residents providing knowledge and data; the planning team incorporating information into the assessment; continuing presenting at organizational meetings; releasing draft assessment report for feedback in spring/summer 2016; revising draft report based on feedback; more community meetings to discuss key findings; and collaborating to determine needs for change. The final step is to publish in the Federal Register a notice of intent to revise the forest plan.