FUSEE COMMUNITY - WE NEED YOUR VOICE TODAY!

Read below for information about the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), a plan that will dictate how over 24.5 million acres of forests will be managed. Help us advocate for Tribal sovereignty and fire inclusion on public lands.

Comments on the DEIS can be submitted until March 17, 2025 8:59 PM PST) on the Public Comment Portal, or mailed to

333 SW 1st Avenue PO Box 3623 Portland, OR 97208-3623.

To view the DEIS, you can visit the Project Page on the Forest Service’s website.

So what is the NWFP and why is it important?

For 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) has directed management in National Forests in western Washington, Oregon, and northern California on over 24.5 million acres. Originally, the NWFP aimed to protect and restore old-growth forest and healthy stream habitat for threatened species, while still allowing commercial logging. The original plan had major shortcomings; most notably was the Forest Service’s failure to meaningfully engage federally recognized Tribes and Indigenous peoples. This, in part, has been a driving factor in the agency’s motivations to amend the Plan.

In 2023, a Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) was convened to inform potential amendments to the NWFP, focusing on the issues of wildfire risk, climate change, old-growth forests, Tribal engagement, and rural communities and workforce. The group developed consensus recommendations and proposed significant new changes to the NWFP in the areas of Tribal sovereignty and inclusion in forest management, and in authorizing Indigenous cultural burning, prescribed burning, and managed wildfire to further community sustainability and restore ecological integrity.

The area of the forests managed based on the NWFP spans over 24 million acres across 17 national forests in Washington, Oregon, and California.

On November 15th, 2024 the Forest Service released their draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) detailing their proposed changes to the NWFP. The draft includes measures to expand Tribal inclusion across the NWFP area through expanded cultural harvesting and access, co-stewardship agreements, fire stewardship, workforce development, and youth education. Unfortunately, the DEIS does not include sufficient Tribal sovereignty or fire inclusion analysis, and there is no guarantee that the final EIS will honor Tribal inclusion or fire inclusion.

As the Forest Service considers changes to the landmark forest plan, it’s important that they hear from YOU. They are required to read all of our comments and the more personalized they are with your stories and connections to forest, fire, and Tribal sovereignty, the better. It is vital that you make your voice heard to support Tribal sovereignty, cultural burning, prescribed fire, wildfire resilience, and old forest protection and restoration. You do NOT need to live in those states to write a comment. Please consider using the guidance below to submit a comment today.

Looking for other ways to join the movement?

If you’re a student, write a paper about Tribal sovereignty and/or fire inclusion in the public policy process
Write a Letter to the Editor for your local paper to help inform your local community
Share our (or others’) posts about the NWFP on social media; feel free to use the graphics provided below
Send your friends this email and ask them to write a comment letter too

How to submit a comment:

Encourage yourself, your network, and your friends and family to write their own comments and submit directly to the portal (linked here). Please note that these comments are public record.
Send physical letters by mail. These must be submitted to the following address: U.S. Forest Service, 333 SW 1st Avenue PO Box 3623 Portland, OR 97208-3623

Feel free to use this example comment as a guide for writing yours

What's at Stake with the Northwest Forest Plan? Upcoming Webinar

FireGeneration Collaborative, FUSEE, and Cascadia Wildlands, representing the PNW Forest Climate Alliance will discuss potential threats and opportunities affecting the future of PNW forests, particularly Tribal sovereignty, forest conservation, and fire inclusion.

Thursday, February 13th, 6-7pm Pacific.

Read: Recommendations for Tribal Sovereignty and Environmental Justice in the NWFP Amendment Draft EIS

Use the documents below to help guide the language you use in your comments

Guides created by FireGeneration Collaborative

fusee.org