A "Cradle to Grave" Evaluation of Projects and Appeals on the Green Mountain National Forest and the White Mountain National Forest
To develop forest management projects, the USDA Forest Service uses a multi-step process that invites public comment. Participants who comment gain standing to file an administrative appeal if they are dissatisfied with the outcome of the process. An appeal temporarily halts the project while it gets reviewed, which can lead to delays in meeting long term management objectives. The administrative appeals process has become a prominent tool for diverse groups to further their own management goals and objectives for National Forests.
NSRC researchers examined the Forest Service’s public comment process for 33 Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Statement level management projects on the White Mountain and the Green Mountain National Forests in the Northeast. Through interviews, researchers developed a descriptive profile of project commenters (people submitting comments on a project) and appellants (those following with an appeal). They analyzed why people comment on projects and why some commenters appeal projects.
The Forest Service was largely successful in engaging the public and getting projects through the administrative process. Unaffiliated citizens were the largest group using the public comment process and submitted the most comments, though 15% of all comments on these projects were from environmental groups. Previous appellants often participated in these projects and did not appeal. Interviews revealed that appellants wanted more intense engagement with the agency, and they felt the agency had been unresponsive. Researchers also found that participants had different ideas about the purpose of the public participation process than did the Forest Service, which led to differing expectations for the process.
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