§ 219.21 - Social and economic sustainability.

To contribute to economic and social sustainability, the responsible official involves interested and affected people in planning for National Forest System lands (§§219.12 through 219.18), provides for the development and consideration of relevant social and economic information and analyses, and a range of uses, values, products, and services.

(a) Social and economic information and analyses. To understand the contribution national forests and grasslands make to the economic and social sustainability of local communities, regions, and the nation, the planning process must include the analysis of economic and social information at variable scales, including national, regional, and local scales. Social analyses address human life-styles, cultures, attitudes, beliefs, values, demographics, and land-use patterns, and the capacity of human communities to adapt to changing conditions. Economic analyses address economic trends, the effect of national forest and grassland management on the well-being of communities and regions, and the net benefit of uses, values, products, or services provided by national forests and grasslands. Social and economic analyses should recognize that the uses, values, products, and services from national forests and grasslands change with time and the capacity of communities to accommodate shifts in land uses change. Social and economic analyses may rely on quantitative, qualitative, and participatory methods for gathering and analyzing data. Social and economic information may be developed and analyzed through broad-scale assessments and local analyses (§219.5), monitoring results (§219.11), or other means. For plan revisions, and to the extent the responsible official considers to be appropriate for plan amendments or site-specific decisions, the responsible official must develop or supplement the information and analyses related to the following:

(1) Describe and analyze, as appropriate, the following:

(i) Demographic trends; life-style preferences; public values; land-use patterns; related conservation and land use policies at the state and local level; cultural and American Indian tribe and Alaska Native land settlement patterns; social and cultural history; social and cultural opportunities provided by national forest system lands; the organization and leadership of local communities; community assistance needs; community health; and other appropriate social and cultural information;

(ii) Employment, income, and other economic trends; the range and estimated long-term value of market and non-market goods, uses, services, and amenities that can be provided by national forest system lands consistent with the requirements of ecological sustainability, the estimated cost of providing them, and the estimated effect of providing them on regional and community well-being, employment, and wages; and other appropriate economic information. Special attention should be paid to the uses, values, products, or services that the Forest Service is uniquely poised to provide;

(iii) Opportunities to provide social and economic benefits to communities through natural resource restoration strategies;

(iv) Other social or economic information, if appropriate, to address issues being considered by the responsible official (§219.4).

(2) Analyze community or region risk and vulnerability. Risk and vulnerability analyses assess the vulnerability of communities from changes in ecological systems as a result of natural succession or potential management actions. Risk may be considered for geographic, relevant occupational, or other related communities of interest. Resiliency and community capacity should be considered in a risk and vulnerability analysis. Risk and vulnerability analysis may also address potential consequences to communities and regions from land management changes in terms of capital availability, employment opportunities, wage levels, local tax bases, federal revenue sharing, the ability to support public infrastructure and social services, human health and safety, and other factors as necessary and appropriate.

(b) Plan decisions. When making plan decisions that will affect social or economic sustainability, the responsible official must use the information analyses developed in paragraph (a) of this section. Plan decisions contribute to social and economic sustainability by providing for a range of uses, values, products, and services, consistent with ecological sustainability.