The purpose of this project was to aid the Chief of the USDA Forest Service in his discussions on the complexity of laws applicable to the Forest Service by graphically articulating the interaction and impact of these laws on forest level project planning through the use of industry accepted business process modeling and analysis methodologies. In support of this purpose, BusinessGenetics, the USDA Forest Service Inventory and Monitoring Institute and the USDA Pike and San Isabel National Forest, South Platte Ranger District Office developed / validated selected business and process workflow models that show the activities necessary to conduct project planning and comply with NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and other laws within the context of a timber sale. These models were developed using existing USDA Forest Service documentation and USDA Forest Service Personnel (from the Inventory & Monitoring Institute and South Platte Ranger District Office) as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The South Platte Ranger District Office SMEs then validated the resulting models within the context of their Upper South Platte Watershed Protection & Restoration Project. As a result of this modeling effort, BusinessGenetics and the Inventory & Monitoring Institute were able to document several preliminary findings and future options through the analysis of the models.Â
Articles, citations, reports, websites, and multimedia resources focused on rangeland ecology, management, restoration, and other issues on American rangelands.