What improvements were necessary and who within the Forest Service requested and developed them?
Local forest supervisors and district rangers requested a revised set of standards to allow them to more effectively protect forests from catastrophic fires. They have direct knowledge of how to protect their forests, wildlife habitats, and communities, but due to some restrictions in the 2001 Amendment, they were unable to thin trees and remove the underbrush necessary to significantly reduce the risks of hot-burning fires. Over 30 regional Forest Service professionals, including biologists, fuels specialists, ecologists, fire behavior experts, and specialists in geographic information and modeling, developed and analyzed nine alternatives for improving the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment to lessen the threat of catastrophic fire.
