LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. Forest Service has rejected the recently completed management plans for three national forests in the Pacific Northwest, restarting what had been a 15-year process to revise the plans.
The plans for the Malheur, Umatilla and Wallowa-Whitman national forests were issued last summer, promising to support more than 2,800 jobs and provide about $133 million in annual income.
The plans were to guide management of the forests that cover more than 7,800 square miles in the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon.
Objections to the plans were filed by more than 300 organizations and individuals, including representatives from timber and livestock industries, environmental groups, state wildlife management agencies, and the Nez Perce and Umatilla tribes.