MISSOURI PARKS ASSOCIATION

Columbia, MO 65203

29 July 2002

Laura Watts, Forest Planner

Mark Twain National Forest

401 Fairgrounds Road

Rolla, MO 65401 Re: Mark Twain Forest Plan Revision

Dear Ms. Watts:

The Missouri Parks Association wishes to comment on and participate in the revision of the Mark Twain National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan. MPA is a citizen organization of about 2,000 members statewide dedicated to the protection, enhancement, and interpretation of our Missouri system of state parks and historic sites, many of which are in close proximity to the Mark Twain National Forest. We have read your "Assessment of the Need for Change" and "Notice of Intent to Revise" and have the following comments.

First, we applaud your emphasis on ecosystem management in these documents and we wish to encourage establishment of a clear priority for management of Mark Twain lands to enhance longterm ecosystem health. This would entail not only greater use of prescribed fire and other techniques to restore and maintain diverse, healthy ecosystems but also coordination with other land-managing agencies to manage lands on a landscape scale. For example, we believe there is an important opportunity to restore and maintain glade habitat in the White River Hills Ecoregion in the vicinity of Roaring River State Park. While we understand the Forest Service has already undertaken some cooperative work along these lines, we believe it should be significantly extended.

Other land and resource management matters that may have particular consequences for state parks and other nearby landholdings include protection of riparian areas and water quality; strict limitation and control of ORV/ATV use, especially in sensitive and roadless areas; inventory of MTNF roadless areas that together with other contiguous non-MTNF lands may afford opportunity for management as defacto wilderness; and withdrawal from mineral leasing of ecologically sensitive areas, roadless areas, and areas near state parks and other sensitive lands outside MTNF boundaries. In general, we support the closing of non-essential roads after analysis that considers non-MTNF as well as forest roads.

We also urge particular attention to exclusion from lands suitable for timber harvest of riparian floodplains, roadless areas and other lands more important for recreation, which would necessitate significant downward adjustment of the allowable sale quantity (ASQ) for the forest. In view of the ecological, recreational and multiple other goals of the MTNF, we particularly support greater emphasis on uneven-aged management and major decrease in clearcutting.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on your planning process. Please notify MPA of all future steps in your forest plan revision.

Sincerely,

Susan Flader

President