Final Environmental Impact Statement Appendix A Public Involvement White Mountain National Forest This document is available in large print. Contact the White Mountain National Forest Supervisor’s Office 1-603-528-8721 TTY 1-603-528-8722 The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720- 2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Contents Introduction .............................................................................................. 3 Goal Statement ......................................................................................... 3 Objectives ............................................................................................ 3 White Mountain National Forest Audience ......................................... 4 Role of the General Public, Employees, Government Agencies, Tribal Governments, and Cooperators in Forest Plan Revision Public Involvement............................................................................ 4 Employees ........................................................................................... 4 Local, State, and Federal Government Agencies, and Elected Officials ............................................................................................... 5 Federally Recognized Tribal Governments.................................... 5 Cooperators, Contractors, Permittees, and Groups with Existing Rights ................................................................................................... 5 General Public .................................................................................... 5 Collaboration with other National Forests .......................................... 5 Public Participation Opportunities ....................................................... 6 Pre-Revision Outreach — Identifying Needed Changes for the Forest Plan .......................................................................................... 6 Post-NOI Collaboration .................................................................... 7 Review and Comment on DEIS and Proposed Plan..................... 8 Response to Comment and Preparation of Revised Forest Plan and FEIS .............................................................................................. 8 Communication Methods ....................................................................... 9 Response to Public Comments ............................................................ 10 Role of the Forest ............................................................................. 10 Accessibility ...................................................................................... 11 Biodiversity / Ecosystems ............................................................... 16 Soils .................................................................................................... 31 Water Resources ............................................................................... 37 Riparian and Aquatic Habitats ...................................................... 44 Vegetation ......................................................................................... 49 Wildlife .............................................................................................. 74 Rare and Unique Features .............................................................. 85 Recreation ......................................................................................... 91 White Mountain National Forest — Final Environmental Impact Statement Wilderness ...................................................................................... 154 Other Special Areas ....................................................................... 173 Wild and Scenic Rivers ................................................................. 178 Roadless .......................................................................................... 179 Wildland Fire .................................................................................. 198 Air Resources ................................................................................. 201 Scenic Resources ............................................................................ 203 Geologic and Mineral Resources ................................................. 205 Heritage Resources ........................................................................ 207 Social and Economic...................................................................... 212 Lands and Special Uses................................................................. 220 Transportation System .................................................................. 226 Monitoring ...................................................................................... 229 Public Involvement / Communications ...................................... 232 Planning Process ............................................................................ 234 Selected Responses ........................................................................ 254 A–2 Appendix A — Public Involvement Introduction The White Mountain National Forest, with 796,700 acres in New Hampshire and Maine, is the largest block of federally owned public land in the six New England States. As the largest public land area in New England, the Forest plays an important and unique role in people’s hearts and minds. It is one of the most popular forests in the country, with upwards of 6 million visitors annually. The Forest is the recreational draw for outdoor enthusiasts with myriad interests; it is a place of refuge from the hectic pace of life on the eastern seaboard; and is the backyard business to outfitter guides, tourism services, and the wood products industry. The Forest is within a day’s drive of 70 million people and home to 58 towns in New Hampshire and Maine. The Forest Plan Revision Public Involvement Plan was prepared with this diverse audience in mind. A public involvement strategy — establishing ways for individuals, interest groups, and state and federal government agencies to become involved in the Plan Revision — was developed during the pre-revision phase of the planning process, in 1997. The strategy established opportunities for people to learn more about resource management and Forest Plan revision, while encouraging open dialogue within the planning time frame. The New England culture of relying on local collaboration to achieve solutions has guided the Forest Plan Revision process. Goal Statement Creating a way to involve White Mountain National Forest users is essential in producing a Revised Forest Plan that can be endorsed by the public, resource professionals, and employees. Support for the Plan is fostered by a widely held belief that people’s concerns are heard and addressed in the planning process. Those involved in the planning process, and users of the White Mountain National Forest, should all feel an ownership in the Plan and actively support its implementation. Objectives These objectives were established to meet the above goal: Listening — We will listen to what people have to say about the management of their National Forest. Learning — We will provide an environment for the public and ourselves to learn about concerns, new information, and trade-offs involved with management of the National Forest. Broad Picture — We will provide opportunities for the public and ourselves to gain an understanding of the broad range of issues and the diversity of stakeholders involved with the Forest Plan Revision. Process — We want all people to have opportunities to become involved in Forest Plan Revision. We will provide timely information. Credibility — We will strive to ensure that information exchange is objective. We will provide opportunities for information exchange between groups A–3 White Mountain National Forest — Final Environmental Impact Statement and forums that include more than Forest Service personnel. We will ensure that Forest Service personnel involved in meetings are well prepared. We will follow through on commitments we make. Support — We want our efforts to provide a diverse base of people who actively support plan implementation and needed change. People support the plan based upon their feelings that their input was heard and considered in the process. We will continue to include and involve those who may have disagreements. White Mountain National Forest Audience To assist in the development of a framework for Plan Revision public involvement activities, four general groups of people were identified. Individuals may not fit within any one group and may be part of different groups at different stages in the process. Individuals’ interests and activities determine their participation