How to Comment on the Blue Mountains Forest Plan

You Don’t Need to Be an Expert to Comment

The Forest Service is preparing to release a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision. When that happens, the public will have an opportunity to submit comments.

For many people, the idea of commenting on a federal planning document feels intimidating. The documents are long. The language can be technical. It’s easy to think you need to be an expert to have something worth saying.

You don’t.

What matters most is that the Forest Service hears how this plan affects real people who use the forest — not just how it affects maps, models, or objectives on paper.

This page is here to help you feel confident writing a comment in your own words.

How to Comment - Click Here

Issues Prompts for Commenting - Click Here

Why Your Comment Matters

Federal law requires the Forest Service to consider impacts to the human environment. That includes people, families, and communities — not just wildlife, scenery, or recreation.

Your comment helps the agency understand:

• How people actually access the forest

• How families rely on the forest for everyday needs

• How changes in access affect rural communities, elders, and people with physical limitations

  
  

When many people raise similar concerns — each in their own voice — it becomes much harder for those concerns to be ignored.

What Makes a Comment Useful

A strong comment doesn’t need legal language or technical analysis. A strong comment:

• Is written in your own voice

• Describes how you actually use the forest

• Explains what you are worried about losing or changing

• Asks the Forest Service to seriously consider those impacts

  
  

You do not need to:

• Cite laws or regulations

• Read the entire forest plan

• Use the same wording as anyone else

  
  

Clear, honest, and specific is better than long or polished.

Need Help Getting Started? Use These Prompts

If you’re not sure what to write, the questions below can help you organize your thoughts. You don’t need to answer all of them — just the ones that matter most to you.

Access to the Forest

• How do you usually get to the forest?

• Do you rely on roads or motorized access?

• Would walking or biking in be realistic for you?

  
  

Forest Use That Supports Your Household

• Do you gather firewood or personal-use wood?

• Do you hunt to help feed your family?

• Are there family activities or traditions tied to specific places?

  
  

Costs of Reduced Access

• Would changes mean more fuel, more time, or more expense?

• Are there areas you would no longer be able to reach?

• How would elders, kids, or people with physical limitations be affected?

  
  

Fairness and Equal Treatment

• Do you think access rules should apply equally to everyone?

• Should some users keep access while others lose it?

  
  

Local Communities

• How does forest access affect your town or community?

• What happens when people are pushed farther away from the forest?

  
  

You can expand on any of these in your own words. Personal experience is powerful.

How Long Should Your Comment Be?

There is no required length for a comment.

• A few thoughtful paragraphs is enough

• Short and specific is better than long and emotional

  
  

If your comment clearly explains how the plan affects you, it’s doing its job.

When and Where to Submit Your Comment

Once the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) is released, the Forest Service will provide:

• A public comment period

• Instructions for submitting comments online or in writing

• A deadline for submission

  
  

Forest Access For All (FAFA) will share submission links and deadlines as soon as they are available.

We encourage you to bookmark this page and come back when the comment period opens.

Final Thought

The forest isn’t just a place to visit. For many people, it’s part of how we live.

Your experience matters. Your story matters. And your comment helps ensure that the voices of people who depend on the forest are part of the official record.

Take a little time now to think about what you want the Forest Service to understand. When the DEIS is released, you’ll be ready to speak up.