Document 99jxaxZNGpM5LJjVD2yJgoz5D

Chief Tom Tidwell USDA Forest Service 1400 Independence Ave, S.W. Washington, DC 20250 Acting Deputy Undersecretary Dan Jiron United States Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20250 May 15,2017 Dear Acting Deputy Undersecretary Jiron and Chief Tidwell: As you know, the undersigned organizations represent millions of Americans who deeply care about our national forests and grasslands. Our members and supporters value these public lands for the water and clean air they provide to communities, the outdoor recreation they offer, the wildlife they harbor, and the resources they contain. President Trump recently issued three executive orders (EO) requiring various reviews of the Forest Service's organization, policy, and regulations: EO 13781 - Presidential Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch, EO 13777 - Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda, and EO 13783 - Presidential Executive Order on Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth. EO 13781 directs agency heads to prepare a plan within 180 days to reorganize to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability. EO 13777 directs agencies to create a Regulatory Reform Task Force to evaluate current regulations and make recommendations. EO 13783 directs agencies to review existing regulations, policies, and other similar actions that potentially burden the development or use of domestically produced energy resources. We write today to request respectfully that you implement these orders in a transparent and inclusive way. Many diverse stakeholders including the undersigned invested significant resources into the development and implementation of Forest Service programs, policies, and initiatives. It only makes sense that these same stakeholders are included in any process you develop to evaluate and make recommendations about your programming and policies, and to provide feedback to any subsequent proposals put forth by the administration. Regarding EO 13777, which requires the Regulatory Reform Task Force to seek input and assistance from entities significantly affected by federal regulations including non-governmental organizations and trade associations, we request the opportunity to participate - either by representation on the task force or otherwise - in the Forest Service's Regulatory Refonn Task Force review. We urge you to ensure that any decisions made about public land management policies and decisions are done out in the open with the full involvement of the American people, and with the utmost care for the remarkable resources that you steward. We thank you for considering these requests. With regards. The Wilderness Society www.wilderness.org American Rivers https://www.americanrivers.org/ Defenders of Wildlife http://www.defenders.org/ Earthjustice http://earthjustice.org/ GreenLatinos http://www.greenlatinos.org/ Physicians for Social Responsibility http://www.psr.org Sierra Club http://www.sierraclub.org/ Southern Environmental Law Center https://www.southemenvironment.org/ Western Environmental Law Center http://www.westemlaw.org/ WildEarth Guardians http://www.wildearthguardians.org