Public participation in national forest planning: perspectives, procedures, and costs

Public participation in national forest planning, although regulated by law, has not been widely documented. A survey of 96 national forests completing a land-management plan by August 1989 canvassed managers about their perceptions of the importance, extent, and means of public participation in the plan. Of the 61 usable responses, most indicated that news media were widely used to publicize the opportunity for participation. Small group acitvities were considered the most viable participatory technique, and these accounted for more than half the public time involved. Cost estimates undertaken by fourteen forest managers indicate that the costs of soliciting and facilitating public participation are high.