Conservation democracy: Ecology, public participation, & United States National Forest management under the Healthy Forest Initiative

National forest management in the United States has traditionally included public participation in agency decision-making. Under the Bush Administration's 2002 Healthy Forest Initiative, the rules governing citizen involvement were substantially modified. A consequence of this was that the U.S. Forest Service was able to propose more commercial forestry in U.S. National Forests with less public oversight and environmental review previously mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act. This combined with other policy changes allowing use in sensitive areas with "extraordinary circumstances" that were previously off-limits to commercial activity. This North Carolina case study explores the effects of the Healthy Forest Initiative on citizen participation and environmental management in the Pisgah, Nantahala, Croatan, and Uwharrie National Forests.