This action is necessary to ensure that National Forest System roads provide for public uses of National Forest System lands; provide for safe public access and travel; allow for economical and efficient management; to the extent practicable, begin to reverse adverse ecological impacts associated with roads; and meet all other current and future land and resource management objectives.
The basic objective of this guide is to help engineers, planners, environmental specialists, and road managers make good decisions, protect the environment, and build good low-volume roads.
The Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) defines the long-term direction for managing the Tonto National Forest. The purpose of the Forest Plan is to provide for multiple use and sustained yield of goods and services from the Forest in a way that maximizes long-term net public benefits in an environmentally sound manner.
In November 2013, Resolution Copper Mining, LLC (RCM) submitted the proposed General Plan of Operations (GPO) to the Tonto National Forest, to develop and mine a copper-molybdenum deposit. Tonto National Forest deemed the GPO to be complete in December 2014 - see Letter of Completion. A plan of operations is a Forest Service permit, which authorizes mining operations on national forest lands.
