Reference

National Forest Management Act

Summary

The National Forest Management Act reorganized, expanded and otherwise amended the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, which called for the management of renewable resources on national forest lands.

The National Forest Management Act requires the Secretary of Agriculture to assess forest lands, develop a management program based on multiple-use, sustained-yield principles, and implement a resource management plan for each unit of the National Forest System. It is the primary statute governing the administration of national forests.

Main Points

• The U.S. National Forest Management Act of 1976 put in place a system for forest management.
• The Act was deemed necessary after several debates over the legality of clear-cutting forests.
• The goal of the act is enabling multiple use and sustained timber yield.