Forest Service Issues Interim Directive on Ecological Restoration

On September 18, Forest Service Chief Gail Kimball issued an interim directive on ecological restoration - Interim Directive (ID) FSM 2020 Ecological Restoration and Resilience. The purpose of the directive is to provide an "overarching and unifying policy and definition of restoration for agency employees and partners." We are pleased to see this directive from the agency. The interim directive will be valid for 18 months as a way to test it on the ground. An opportunity for public review and comment and tribal consultation will subsequently be provided in developing a final directive. 

We are particularly encouraged by the agency's definition of restoration - "The process of assisting the recovery of resilience and adaptive capacity of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Restoration focuses on establishing the composition, structure, pattern, and ecological processes necessary to make terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems sustainable, resilient, and healthy under current and future conditions." This definition covers the broad range of restoration needs that many of us feel must be addressed across the landscape. 

Finally, much of what is in the directive fits nicely with the efforts of the Montana Forest Restoration Committee as well as other collaborative efforts. Wildlands CPR looks forward to engaging with the Forest Service as they implement and fine tune this directive over the next 18 months.