[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR219.10]

[Page 55]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 219_PLANNING--Table of Contents
 
 Subpart A_National Forest System Land and Resource Management Planning
 
Sec.  219.10  Sustainability.

    Sustainability, for any unit of the National Forest System, has 
three interrelated and interdependent elements: social, economic, and 
ecological. A plan can contribute to sustainability by creating a 
framework to guide on-the-ground management of projects and activities; 
however, a plan by itself cannot ensure sustainability. Agency 
authorities, the nature of a plan, and the capabilities of the plan area 
are some of the factors that limit the extent to which a plan can 
contribute to achieving sustainability.
    (a) Sustaining social and economic systems. The overall goal of the 
social and economic elements of sustainability is to contribute to 
sustaining social and economic systems within the plan area. To 
understand the social and economic contributions that National Forest 
System lands presently make, and may make in the future, the Responsible 
Official, in accordance with Sec.  219.6, must evaluate relevant 
economic and social conditions and trends as appropriate during plan 
development, plan amendment, or plan revision.
    (b) Sustaining ecological systems. The overall goal of the 
ecological element of sustainability is to provide a framework to 
contribute to sustaining native ecological systems by providing 
ecological conditions to support diversity of native plant and animal 
species in the plan area. This will satisfy the statutory requirement to 
provide for diversity of plant and animal communities based on the 
suitability and capability of the specific land area in order to meet 
overall multiple-use objectives (16 U.S.C. 1604(g)(3)(B)). Procedures 
developed pursuant to Sec.  219.1(c) for sustaining ecological systems 
must be consistent with the following:
    (1) Ecosystem diversity. Ecosystem diversity is the primary means by 
which a plan contributes to sustaining ecological systems. Plan 
components must establish a framework to provide the characteristics of 
ecosystem diversity in the plan area.
    (2) Species diversity. If the Responsible Official determines that 
provisions in plan components, in addition to those required by 
paragraph (b)(1) of this section, are needed to provide appropriate 
ecological conditions for specific threatened and endangered species, 
species-of-concern, and species-of-interest, then the plan must include 
additional provisions for these species, consistent with the limits of 
agency authorities, the capability of the plan area, and overall 
multiple use objectives.