| This study examines how use of Categorical Exclusion 13, adopted by the United States Forest Service in July 2003 under the Healthy Forest Initiative (HFI), has affected salvage harvesting projects on 11 national forests. The study compares projects completed under this categorical exclusion with those completed before it was adopted to identify the effects on salvage harvesting projects. Findings indicate that after adoption of HFI reforms, number of projects decreased, land area of projects decreased, volume of projects increased, and time between disturbance and project start decreased. The most important result, however, shows that, after implementation of Categorical Exclusion 13, salvage projects decreased in duration by 7 months, nearly half the average time spent on preparations. Discovering these effects improves understanding of how use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) affects project preparation. |
