County continues battle to be involved in old growth forest planning

The Crook County Commissioners have signed up as a cooperating agency as the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) decides how to manage old growth forests, but will be making their thoughts clear on how the process has gone so far.

Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of USFS plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create an overall strategy.

The county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the planning.

In a letter sent to the USFS in April, the commission made a formal request to be designated a cooperating agency.

Consultant Dru Palmer reported last week that the whole thing has been “kind of a dog and pony show”.

At this point, she said, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been sent to the county, but it must be signed exactly as it is.

The county will not be able to request alterations to the wording, she said.

The MOU is not necessary to be a cooperating agency, she explained. In fact, she is already meeting with the USFS every other Thursday on behalf of the county and the Wyoming County Commissioners Association and Wyoming Governor’s Office are also involved.

However, she did recommend that the commission sign the MOU – with a caveat.

Palmer recommended inclusion of a cover letter as a “slap of their hands” over how things have been handled so far.

The draft environmental impact study had already been written, she said, before a single meeting or conversation was held. She is expecting a 90-day comment period to begin around June 20.

“They won’t let us see anything and the draft EIS is coming up and we don’t know what’s in it,” she said.

The commission was in agreement that the process so far and the neglect of county input has been unacceptable.

“They’re not following any of their own rules…what, are we in a communist country where we don’t get a say in anything?” commented Commissioner Fred Devish.

The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Black Hills.

According to the USFS, the mature and old-growth forest initiative is part of an “overarching climate-informed strategy to change the course of increased wildfires, combat climate-related impacts and help retain carbon.”

Mature and old-growth forests, says the USFS, offer, “biological diversity, carbon sequestration, wildlife and fisheries habitat, recreation, soil productivity, water quality and aesthetic beauty”, as well as reflecting diverse tribal, spiritual and cultural values, but are threatened by climate change.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDS) published a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on December 19 to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to amend all 128 national forest land management plans “to include consistent direction to manage, conserve and steward old-growth forest conditions.”