National Forest Resources in the Public Eye--1 970 

 to the Present 



The National 

 Environmental Policy Act 



On January 1, 1970, the 

 National Environmental 

 Policy Act (P.L 91-180) 

 was enacted. It presaged 

 environmental legislation in 

 the 1970's that was to alter 

 the process of managing 

 the national forests as 

 significantly as all forest 

 resource legislation in the 

 prior 65 years. 



Before 1970, even-aged 

 management, clearcutting, 

 and road building in 

 previously unroaded areas 

 had not been environmental 

 issues of great impact on 

 management of the 

 southern national forests. 

 But the National 

 Environmental Policy Act 

 required environmental 

 analysis of the impacts of 

 resource management 

 decisions and public review 

 of the supporting 

 environmental impact 

 statements. This 

 requirement afforded 

 interested parties additional 

 opportunities to criticize 

 and oppose timber 

 management activities, 

 particularly those involving 

 timber sales perceived to 



affect other resource uses 

 adversely. 



The Endangered Species 

 Act 



On December 28, 1973, the 

 Endangered Species Act 

 became law. Its purpose is 

 to provide for the 

 conservation of endangered 

 and threatened species 

 and the ecosystems on 

 which they depend. 



Of the several endangered 

 or threatened plant and 

 animal species found on 

 the southern national 

 forests, the red-cockaded 

 woodpecker has had the 

 greatest impact on timber 

 resources. The range of the 

 woodpecker extends from 

 eastern North Carolina to 

 eastern Texas. Over 2,000 

 active colonies, at least 

 three-fourths of the total 

 population, live in the pine 

 stands of national forests in 

 North Carolina, South 

 Carolina, Florida, Alabama, 

 Mississippi, Louisiana, and 

 Texas. The Forest Service's 

 red-cockaded woodpecker 

 recovery plan concludes 

 that 125 acres of 

 well-stocked pine stands 30 



44 



