B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Bachelor of Forestry Forest Policy and Administration 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which administrative tool allows the Forest Service to restrict or close areas of national forests to protect resources or public safety?
- Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement
- Forest Order under 36 CFR 261 (Correct answer)
- Record of Decision
- Presidential Proclamation
Correct answer: Forest Order under 36 CFR 261
Forest Orders issued under 36 CFR Part 261 give authorized officers the power to restrict activities or close areas within national forests.
Question 2: The term 'below-cost timber sales' refers to sales where:
- Timber is sold at market rates but below the reserve price
- The government spends more preparing and administering the sale than it receives in receipts (Correct answer)
- Private companies log at a loss to comply with forest plans
- Timber is sold to subsidize local mills below cost
Correct answer: The government spends more preparing and administering the sale than it receives in receipts
Below-cost timber sales occur when federal expenditures on road building, administration, and sale preparation exceed the revenue generated from timber receipts.
Question 3: Which law requires that 25% of receipts from national forests be shared with counties for roads and schools?
- Knutson-Vandenberg Act
- Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Correct answer)
- Clarke-McNary Act
- National Forest Fund Act
Correct answer: Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act
The Secure Rural Schools Act (2000) and its predecessors provide payments to counties containing national forest land to compensate for non-taxable federal lands.
Question 4: In forest policy, 'non-declining even flow' refers to a requirement that:
- Rivers and streams in national forests maintain consistent water volume
- Timber harvest levels cannot decrease from one decade to the next (Correct answer)
- Wildlife populations must remain stable across planning periods
- Carbon sequestration rates must not fall below baseline
Correct answer: Timber harvest levels cannot decrease from one decade to the next
Non-declining even flow (NDEF) is a sustained-yield principle requiring that scheduled timber harvest not decrease below previous decade levels.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of a Forest Service 'Record of Decision' (ROD)?
- To document public comments received during scoping
- To formally select an alternative and commit the agency to a course of action after NEPA review (Correct answer)
- To certify that a timber sale meets minimum bid requirements
- To transfer management authority between forest districts
Correct answer: To formally select an alternative and commit the agency to a course of action after NEPA review
A ROD is the official document in which a federal agency announces its decision and responds to comments after completing an EIS under NEPA.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes 'adaptive management' as used in modern forest administration?
- Adjusting timber quotas based on market prices
- Modifying management actions based on monitoring results and new information (Correct answer)
- Allowing managers to waive environmental regulations during emergencies
- Delegating all forest decisions to local advisory boards
Correct answer: Modifying management actions based on monitoring results and new information
Adaptive management is a structured, iterative process of decision-making that incorporates monitoring and learning to adjust practices over time.
Question 7: The Wilderness Act of 1964 prohibits which of the following activities in designated wilderness areas?
- Hunting with a state license
- Non-motorized hiking and camping
- Commercial timber harvesting (Correct answer)
- Scientific research with hand tools
Correct answer: Commercial timber harvesting
The Wilderness Act prohibits commercial enterprise, permanent roads, and use of motorized equipment including timber harvesting in designated wilderness.
B.F. Bachelor of Forestry Bachelor of Forestry Forest Policy and Administration 3
Which administrative tool allows the Forest Service to restrict or close areas of national forests to protect resources or public safety?