2012 NFMA FOREST PLANNING RULE
§ 219.12 MONITORING
219.12 MONITORING

Four Main Sections:
 (a)
Plan (Unit Level) Monitoring Program
 (b) Broader Scale Monitoring Strategies
 (c) Timing & Process
 (d) Biennial Evaluation of Monitoring Information
TWO LEVELS OF FOREST PLAN
MONITORING
Unit Level
(Shoshone
NF)
Broader Scale (Greater
Yellowstone Area)
219.12 (A) UNIT LEVEL MONITORING
PROGRAM
o
o
o
Primarily made up of monitoring questions and
associated indicators
Based on Plan components (desired conditions,
objectives, standards, guidelines & land suitability)
Questions are designed to:
o
o
o
Test assumptions
Track changes
Measure management effectiveness in achieving or
maintaining desired conditions or objectives
PROGRAM MUST HAVE AT LEAST ONE QUESTION THAT
ADDRESSES EACH OF THESE AREAS:
1) Status of select watershed conditions
2) Status of select ecological conditions (terrestrial &
aquatic)
3) Status of focal species (related to 219.9 Diversity)
4) Status of ecological conditions (see 219.9) related to
T&E, candidate, and conservation concern species
REQUIRED MONITORING QUESTIONS (CONT’D)
5)
Status of visitor use, satisfaction & meeting
recreation objectives
6)
Changes due to climate change and other stressors
7)
Progress toward meeting DC’s & objectives (including
multiple-use opportunities)
8)
Effects of mgmt systems on land productivity
219.12 (B)BROADER-SCALE MONITORING
STRATEGIES
Developed by Regional Forester
 Address plan monitoring questions best
answered at a scale broader than one plan
area
 Coordinated with R&D, S&PF, partners, and
public
 May include multiple regions
 Must be financially and technically feasible
 Must complement other ongoing monitoring
efforts

219.12 (C) TIMING AND PROCESS
Forest Plans developed under prior rules must
update the monitoring program to comply with new
rule within 4 years
 RF’s must develop broader-scale strategies ASAP
 Both monitoring levels must take into account:

existing inventory, monitoring and research programs
 opportunities for multi-party monitoring
 Opportunities to work together with Indian tribes

219.12 (D) BIENNIAL MONITORING EVALUATIONS
Include information from both unit and broad
scale monitoring
 Must be documented in a written report
available to public
 First evaluation must be done within 2 years
following plan approval or adoption of updated
monitoring program
 Must include decision on need to change the
Plan, mgmt activities or monitoring program

WHERE WILL DATIM HELP?
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Developing meaningful monitoring questions and indicators
Assessing progress toward achieving desired conditions
Integrating unit monitoring with broad scale monitoring
Assessing all required monitoring areas to various degrees
Establishing and conducting broad scale assessments
Incorporating monitoring needs of multiple Regions
Providing opportunities for multi-party monitoring
Engaging the public and other government entities
Identifying trends for use in biennial evaluations
WHERE WILL DATIM HELP (CON’T)
Help Forests and Regions improve monitoring
designs and data analyses by providing nationally
consistent tools
 Help Forests to better document their monitoring
needs
 Increase the ability of the Agency to inform
decisions and adaptively manage resources based
on statistically sound information
 Help “Old Rule” Forests develop new monitoring
programs (4 year requirement)
