Criteria and Subcriteria

Below are descriptions of the criteria and sub-criteria that make up the Decision Framework. To read more about how the Decision Framework was developed is being used in the planning process, click here.

Criteria

Protect individual objects

The President Clinton Proclamation that established the Monument requires that the Forest Service protect the objects of interest. Some objects must be protected as individuals rather than (or as well as) part of a system or process. Examples of individual objects in the Proclamation are individually-named giant sequoias, threatened and endangered species, and lithic scatters.

Current law, regulation, and policy provide protection to many of these individuals already.

Subcriteria

The alternatives were rated on how well these resources are/would be protected from potential damage, often while maintaining public access.

Geology (spires, domes, caves)
Individually named Giant Sequoia
Individual cultural resources
Individual threatened and endangered species

Increase ecosystem health

The Proclamation requires that the Forest Service protect ecosystems. Ecosystems are the arrangement of living and non-living things and the forces that move them. Living things include plants and animals. Non-living parts of the ecosystem include water, rocks, and minerals. Each ecosystem contains a mosaic of vegetation species, ages, and sizes. The desired condition is a mosaic of vegetation types with varying species composition and ages that provides different habitats resilient to disturbance. Examples include habitat for old forest-dependent species, oak and chaparral, and giant sequoia groves.

Subcriteria

The alternatives are rated by two subcriteria for improving ecosystem health and function: 1) protecting features such as caves, and riparian/wetland areas, and 2) providing for diversity of species by treating portions of the Monument in different manners.

Diversity of flora and fauna species
Resilience to Disturbance
Mixed conifer
Mixed conifer emphasizing groves
Hardwoods (Oak & Savanna)
Caves
Hydrologic systems

Manage/allow fire

The Monument is located in a Mediterranean climate zone where fire is an important disturbance factor for ecosystems. The native species that live here are adapted to fairly frequent fires. However, the increasing human population in the San Joaquin Valley and foothills adjacent to the Monument has made protection of life and property, as well as air quality, important issues.

Subcriteria

The alternatives are rated by two subcriteria for increasing ecosystem health. The focus is to restore fire processes in the ecosystem while protecting public safety and health by: 1) promoting fire across the landscape to keep fire in the natural range of variability, and 2) providing protection to people, structures, and air quality for public health and safety.

Increase efforts to restore natural fire processes
Protect objects outside WUIs, Groves & at risk Habitat
Protect objects in WUIs, Groves & at risk Habitat
No "unwanted" fire
Minimize impacts of Air Quality on people
Effect on aesthetics (Scenery)
Protect Human Safety outside WUI
Protecting Human Safety IN WUI

Increase enjoyment of the Monument

Recreational use of the Monument is increasing, resulting in competition between different types of public use and a greater need to protect the objects of interest. Increasing enjoyment of the Monument is an overarching goal.

Management of the Monument needs to balance diverse users, balance and provide for a wide variety of uses, accommodate uses through different seasons, and minimize conflicts. Management of the Monument needs to provide for access; people cannot play if they cannot get to their destination and, for some, use of those access routes is their desired form of recreation. Management of the Monument needs to address connections: connection of people to place, people to people, stewardship to foster that connection to the land, and education. It needs to provide for protection of people. Management of the Monument needs to be practical in providing for opportunities that are easy to maintain and can be funded. Management of the Monument needs to provide for protection of resources consistent with protecting the objects of interest, restoration, and developing stewardship, so that people care about the land and its resources.

Subcriteria

The alternatives are rated by how well and in what ways they provide access to important features of the Monument.

Enjoy the objects of interest
Promotes diversity of users
Promotes diversity of uses
Provides access
Connects people to others and across generations
Connects people to the land (places)

Foster socio-economics

Fostering socioeconomic health refers to the way the plan affects the social and economic well-being of residents and visitors to the Monument, adjacent communities, and those affected by changes in air quality.

Subcriteria

The alternatives are rated on the potential diversity of economic opportunities, improving support to gateway communities, connecting people to places, and protecting communities from fire.

Supports gateway economic development
Provides for diverse economic opportunities
Protects communities from fire
Supports connection of all to place
Is cost effective to administer, research & monitor
Develops cost offsets

Create a cost-effective plan

Refers to the cost effectiveness of administration, research & monitor and where cost offsets are available by alternatives.

Subcriteria

Is cost effective to administer, research & monitor
Develops cost offsets

Create a Feasible plan

It is the goal of the Forest Service for the Monument plan to elicit individual support and unite the communities of interest and place to provide broad financial, political, and logistical support.

(The rating for each plan to be supplied by each reader rather than by the Forest Service in the "Be the Boss" section.)

Subcriteria

None

Comply with legal requirements

There are a number of legal requirements that apply to the Monument. Some of these are laws, regulation, or policy. Other forms of management direction are also legal requirements, including the 1990 Mediated Settlement Agreement (MSA) and the Presidential proclamations. With the exception of the MSA, this is direction, within which all the alternatives must be developed and implemented.

Subcriteria

The only rating that varies by alternative is how closely that alternative follows the MSA guidance.

Mediated Settlement Agreement Analysis Obligation
Proclamations (Bush and Clinton)
Laws, regulations and policies

Subcriteria

Subcriteria for Protect individual objects

Geology (spires, domes, caves)

The Monument has many geologic features and landforms that include caves, hot springs, soda springs, domes, spires and glacial moraines. The Proclamation describes caves and other geologic resources as follows: "The Monument is dominated by granitic rocks, most noticeable as domes and spires in areas such as the Needles. The magnificent Kern Canyon forms the eastern boundary of the Monument's southern unit... Particularly in the northern unit of the Monument, limestone outcrops, remnants of an ancient seabed, are noted for their caves."

Current management direction for caves and other geologic features allows for open access to most of the caves within the Monument by the public, with the exception of Boyden Cave and Church Cave. Boyden and Church Caves are managed to allow access under a permit system. Potential impacts to caves from fire suppression activities include changes to cave biochemistry. Unmanaged use of cave systems from human interaction could also disrupt the natural ecological processes of caves from changes in chemistry and hydrology.

Domes and Spires: Potential impacts from wildfire suppression include fire retardant drops on domes and spires. At a minimum, this affects the color of the natural rock on the natural geologic feature, which can be aesthetically unpleasing. Natural weathering to remove fire retardant could take decades. Wildfire suppression efforts in the past fires in the Sequoia National Forest have resulted in fire retardant drops on existing domes and spires. Impacts to domes and spires from fire suppression activities could also affect the flora on rock outcrops.

Potential impacts from recreation activities on domes and spires include climbing hardware left on rocks, where rock climbing is popular. These include the Needles, Buck Rock, Dome Rock, Chimney Rock, Sentinel Peak - Elephant Knob, and the many other domes and spires in the Monument. Hardware includes rock bolts and webbing material used to anchor rock climbers and provide some level of protection to them. The activity of drilling or wedging anchors in rocks has minimal impact and does not affect any feature of the dome or spire.

Soda Springs and Hot Springs: Impacts to soda springs and hot springs could occur from increased recreation activity, such as open access to these resources. People may camp around the springs and could damage the banks by creating tubs, or simply by getting in and out.

See all the criteria and subcriteria on one page.

Individually named Giant Sequoia

Protect from human impacts and wildfire. Named trees should be protected individually (note that most giant sequoias are protected as part of an ecosystem or through management of processes).

Note - not many individually-named giant sequoia trees (by policy) [There are some the public has named that the Forest Service does not recognize]. The currently named trees are all recreation destinations (the Boole Tree, Bush Tree, and Chicago Stump).

Some of these individuals have a lot of trees growing around them, making them hard to see and vulnerable to fire. All named giant sequoias are to be protected from fire by pulling fuels away from the base and pruning ladder fuels if necessary during fuels reduction activities.

Giant sequoia groves are mapped. If there is a fire, their position is well known to protect them.

People want to touch, crawl in them, pull off bark, etc., so there is a need to prevent overuse. There is the risk of being "loved to death." However, public access to these individuals is important to maintain to comply with the intent of the Clinton proclamation.

Individual cultural resources

Many historic and prehistoric features are best protected as individual objects. These include lithic scatters, rock shelters, and pictographs.

Individual threatened and endangered species

Individual species and individuals within the species must be protected under the Endangered Species Act as well as the Proclamation. Note: the Pacific fisher is a candidate species for listing, and not currently listed as a Threatened or Endangered (TE) species (see Diversity of flora and fauna species subcriteria).

Currently there are four federally-listed TE species that may be affected by the Monument Plan (Springville clarkia, California condor, valley elderberry longhorn beetle, and little Kern golden trout). These species are adapted to the Mediterranean climate of this area; they may have evolved with recurrent fires affecting their habitat. Impacts to individuals and their critical habitat are more likely to occur from mechanical treatments.

Subcriteria for Increase ecosystem health

Diversity of flora and fauna species

There is a diverse array of wildlife species found in the Monument, including Forest Service sensitive species such as the Pacific fisher, northern goshawk, California spotted owl, and great gray owl.

Sensitive species are generally protected, especially wildlife habitat features, through protecting critical habitat features used as nesting or denning sites. The goal is to maintain a diversity of habitats distributed throughout the Monument. Like the TE species, these species have evolved in this Mediterranean climate with a fairly high fire frequency.

Resilience to Disturbance

Stand resilience is an ecosystem characteristic that involves consideration of many factors such as adaptation or resistance to change. Traits of adaptation include heterogeneity within and between species (genetic and species diversity), active foliar leaf area (basal area, percent stocking, species abundance, leaf area index, etc.), vegetation age, insect and disease populations, soil water availability and hydrologic recharge, and topographic position. Species distribution and abundance, rather than diversity are more important factors since diversity, excepting natural and inevitable extinctions, is not likely to change in the Monument in upcoming years.

Resistance to change, often synonymous to adaptation, may involve tree height, bark thickness, rooting depth, and other factors that may allow trees or other organisms to endure environmental conditions that would otherwise contribute to stand replacement mortality. Resistance may also involve the application of treatments designed to protect sensitive species and high value trees from changes in elements such as insect or fire (Millar et al. 2007). In the Monument, a key desired condition is resilient stands that are similar to the more open past structures with less understory vegetation and fuels. Thus, for silviculturists and forest ecosystem ecologists, restoration is commonly synonymous with resiliency.

Mixed conifer

Mixed conifer is one of the ecosystems to be protected. Mixed conifer ecosystems include white fir, pine, incense cedar, and black oak, and constitute a major portion of the Sierra Nevada forests. Protection may be needed to avoid unwanted fire and forest health issues caused by drought stresses including insect and disease, or to improve the seral progression, structure and function of forested stands.

Mixed conifer is one of the ecosystems to be protected. Mixed conifer ecosystems include white fir, pine, incense cedar, and black oak, and constitute a major portion of Sierra Nevada forests. Protection may be needed to avoid unwanted fire and forest health issues caused by drought stresses such as insect and disease, or to improve the seral progression, structure, and function of forested stands.

People are concerned about the circumstances under which a tree may be removed. There is considerable and meaningful public debate about the conditions under which trees need to be cut, and about when and in what form a tree should be removed from the Monument.

Forest Supervisor Terrell issued an interpretation of the Clinton proclamation clarifying that: 1) trees may need to be cut as part of the treatment of biomass for ecological restoration activities and safety, and 2) the term "removal" in the context of "tree removal" is defined as "to take away or off the Monument."

Mixed conifer emphasizing groves

Though technically giant sequoias are part of the mixed conifer ecosystem, they are of such importance in the Proclamation that they would be evaluated separately.

Apply appropriate management to promote regeneration of giant sequoias. This includes knowing when to plant, and whether to use mechanical treatments and/or burning to prepare the seed beds. In addition, how climate change may affect the extent of the naturally-occurring sequoia groves and may affect giant sequoia regeneration.

Create desirable environment (methods for accomplishing) for giant sequoia regeneration. This includes providing openings in the forest canopy, reducing surface and ladder fuels, and exposing mineral soil to the extent that sequoias will germinate and thrive.

Hardwoods (Oak & Savanna)

Oak Woodland and Blue Oak Savanna were management areas in the Forest Plan. The 2001 SNFPA amended the Forest Plan to include them in the Hardwood Forest allocation. Oak trees are an important part of the ecosystems to be protected.

Savannas with dry-site oaks generally have direct light reaching the ground-level vegetation and are frequently considered transitional zones, occurring between forest and grassland.

Black oak may be managed differently. It contributes greatly to diversity and stability of wildlife, soils, water, and forest tree resources. It is a major concern in the Monument due to its value as wildlife habitat, how it responds to fire, and its relative abundance compared to other oak species. Oak savanna contains blue oak. Native Americans use the oaks; many prefer black oak acorns over those from the oak species in the white oak subgroup for flour. There is also valley oak, the largest known oak species, which is often located below 3,000 feet near subterranean water sources. This species is very sensitive to drought and long-term water table declines. Other oaks associated with the area are in the canyon areas and adapted to fire.

Caves

Caves are objects of interest that are developed and influenced through the actions of water and compounds carried in that water. Changes in soils, vegetation, and climate affect both chemical and physical processes in watersheds affecting caves. Cave ecosystems include the flora and fauna unique to each cave. Geological and biological features in caves can be impacted by recreational activities and wildfires.

Hydrologic systems

Protection of the connectivity and function of hydrologic systems is dependent upon impacts to the flora, fauna, and soils of ecosystems. Roads, trails, and other compacted sites focus rainfall and cause some of the more noticeable damage to hydrologic systems through erosion and gullying. Protecting meadow and stream-side vegetation and reducing the number of stream and meadow crossings helps reduce impacts.

Subcriteria for Manage/allow Fire

Increase efforts to restore natural fire processes

There is an overwhelming need to restore natural fire across the Monument landscape. The current rate of re-introducing fire is too slow. A long-term goal is to protect high value resources in strategic locations so the majority of natural fires can be allowed to burn. Ratings are in terms of fuel loading.

Protect objects outside WUIs, Groves & At-risk Habitat

This is about protecting objects of interest from the "unwanted" fire that: 1) destroys a unique or rare object, or 2) otherwise negatively affects objects for a long period of time (over 10 years). The management of wildland fires would be based on budget constraints, resulting in a passive approach to management because all resources are focused in the other areas.

"At-risk habitat" includes areas identified as old forest, riparian, and meadows used by wildlife.

Protecting unique or rare individuals from fire will require more intensive protection measures than those needed to protect ecosystems. For example, protecting all of the giant sequoias in a portion of the Converse Basin Grove would not be necessary, but it is critical to protect the Chicago Stump as an individually-named giant sequoia.

Protect objects in WUIs, Groves & At-risk Habitat

This is about protecting objects of interest from the "unwanted" fire that: 1) destroys a unique or rare object, or 2) otherwise negatively affects objects for a long period of time (over 10 years). However, protecting the objects of interest is secondary to protecting humans in the WUI zones.

Protecting the objects of interest in the WUI zones means protecting human safety is the top priority. See the additional rationale in the "Protect objects outside of WUI zones, giant sequoia groves, and at-risk habitat" for more information.

No "unwanted" fire

This is the wildfire that happens in the worst place in terms of heat, location, and high wind, and at the worst time when we have little to no resources to manage it. It threatens high value resources: structures, named trees, PACs, and/or SOHAs (nesting/denning habitat). It torches everything in its path, completely uncontrollable.

Minimize impacts of Air Quality on people

Effects on people due to air quality are based on measurements of particulate matter. The particulate matter (PM) that is evaluated for air quality is from emissions (PM2.5 and PM10) from a variety of sources in the San Joaquin Valley airshed. In the Monument, the amount of particulate matter is tied to the amount of prescribed fire and the type of fuel burned.

Effect on aesthetics (Scenery)

Features for this sub-criterion include the number of large trees visible, gaps and openings between trees to provide varied viewing depths, and the appearance of mortality in the form of red-needled, dead, or burnt trees.

Research shows people consistently prefer scenery with:
    a) Large trees,
    b) Forests with more open structure that people can see through,
    c) Variety in forest and landscape composition, and
    d) Views to distinctive ridgelines, landmarks, and landscape features.

People consistently consider the following as ugly (according to research):
     a) Downed wood from management activities,
     b) Extensive areas of dead or dying trees or other vegetation,
     c) Monotonous or homogeneous landscapes,
     d) Dead wood and scorched trunks, and
     e) Overgrown forests with dense understories.

Educating the public on the need for fire for healthy forests can change the public perception of the short-term negative effects of light and moderate burns.

Scenery can be improved by increasing diversity in forest composition, retaining large trees, opening vistas, and increasing visual penetration. Detriments (or risks) to scenery include overstocked forests with little visual penetration; severe fire effects, pestilence, or environmental conditions that destroy large trees or cause large scale die-off of vegetation; and perpetuating monotonous landscapes.

Protect Human Safety outside WUI

Provide for human safety is the first priority in managing fire. It is likely that people will be protected in urban wildland intermix (WUI) zones. It is difficult to attain full protection outside of WUI zones due to a lack of access, dispersion of people in relation to fire, terrain, and fuels. Ratings are for the long term (10-plus years).

Protecting Human Safety IN WUI

Providing for human safety is the first priority in managing fire. It is likely that people will be protected in urban wildland intermix (WUI) zones. The rating is over the long term (10-plus years).

Subcriteria for Increase enjoyment of the Monument

Enjoy the objects of interest

Although the Clinton proclamation (Clinton 2000) requires that the Forest Service protect the objects of interest, people have a strong desire to enjoy these objects. People need to have opportunities to enjoy the objects, whether on-site or virtually. Part of that enjoyment means knowing about the objects, where they are, their history, and their characteristics.

Promotes diversity of users

The diversity of recreationists will continue to increase, as the American population becomes more diverse and international visitation increases. The greatest growth is projected to be in Hispanic and Asian populations, and their use is projected to increase dramatically in the next 25 years. Interpretative programs designed to reach these nontraditional users need to communicate important resource issues and solicit commitments to conservation. Recreation facilities and services need to be more relevant for the state's rapidly changing population segments, including the elderly, youth, single parent families, ethnic groups, new immigrants, and persons with disabilities. Recreation demand indicates a need for more group camping and picnicking opportunities, although there are still people seeking solitude.

Recreation is a prime lure for attracting visitors from overseas, and it is a growing factor in travel and residency patterns. Multinational forest users have different expectations for their recreation experiences than traditional forest users. Multinational visitors also present a challenge in effective communications. The Monument already sees a substantial number of international visitors, and they are expected to increase in the future.

Promotes diversity of uses

The recreation component of the plan needs to provide for a diversity of uses (snowmobiling, hunting, bird watching etc.). As public land, flexibility is needed to respond to new and changing uses (e.g., geocaching) and opportunities for building a stewardship ethic. Volunteerism is a form of recreation for some people. Recreation site restoration, trail restoration, trail maintenance, and site maintenance are all examples of activities pursued by the citizen steward.

Provides access

Access is needed for people to enjoy the Monument. People cannot play if they cannot get to their destination. The sheer existence of roads and trails is not enough for people to enjoy the Monument, as permission to use the access routes is necessary. Roads need to be designated for motorized vehicle use (including over snow vehicles), and roads and trails need to be designated for non-motorized mechanized vehicle use (mountain bikes). For some people, the use of these access routes is their primary form of recreation (e.g., sightseeing, biking, hiking, horseback riding, OHV use), with other facilities only being ancillary to their enjoyment (e.g., being able to camp after a day on the trail). For other people, the access only provides a means to get from one destination to another.

Connects people to others and across generations

Recreation in this plan should promote the connection among people and across generations. More group facilities for both camping and day use are important and will become even more important in the future, as larger "families" want to recreate together. In the past, a family was viewed as a mother, father, and their children; today a family may be multi-generational and may or may not be related by blood or marriage. Research has shown that people often want to recreate in groups, and the Sequoia National Forest is a very family-oriented forest.

Connects people to the land (places)

People have a strong connection to place. This connection may come from a person's experience. Use of particular areas may be multigenerational. For example, a person may have visited a place for years, perhaps with their parents or grandparents, and want to pass along that tradition of use to their children and grandchildren. A person may have seen a picture of a location or read about it and consequently formed a strong attachment to that place and care about it, even though they may never actually visit it. A connection to place may be shared by cultures. For example, Native Americans often have strong attachment to particular areas for practical purposes, such as gathering basketry materials, or for spiritual reasons.

Whatever the reason, places have particular meaning for individuals. And each person can have that attachment for a different place or multiple locations. What places those are may vary with the activity, such as a favorite camping spot, trail, or vista point. No one place can satisfy that connection for all people. The place and the reason for the attachment are as individual as the person.

Subcriteria for Foster socio-economics

Supports gateway economic development

While socioeconomic differences exist among the three counties, differences also exist among the gateway communities adjacent to the Monument. While differences exist, there are also similarities. For example, the "educational, health and social services" category of employment is the largest employer for all gateway communities analyzed, ranging from a low of 19% in Squaw Valley to a high of 34% in Springville. It is probable this job sector will continue to grow the fastest and remain the largest employer among gateway communities. None of the proposed alternatives are expected to increase economic growth in this job sector.

In comparison, the "arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services" job sector may be most influenced by the proposed alternatives, based on human use and recreation facilities encouraged both within and outside the Monument. Among the gateway communities analyzed, this job sector currently ranges from a low of 5% in Springville to a high of 24% on the Tule River Indian Reservation. This job sector on the Tule River Indian Reservation is primarily attributable to the Eagle Mountain Casino and will likely be little influenced by the proposed alternatives. Again, most of the potential for economic growth in this sector will come from the expected increase in population. Variations among the alternatives may lead to a greater potential for economic growth in gateway communities.

Provides for diverse economic opportunities

Potential changes in the Forest Service economic contribution across the alternatives are based on projected changes in visits to the national forest (arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services), fiber production and grazing (agriculture), and Forest Service budget and employees (government).

While mining is an important natural resource sector for the three-county area, there is no authorized mineral extraction in the Monument nor will any of the alternatives allow mineral extraction in the Monument; none of the alternatives will change the Forest Service's contribution to the mining sector of the study area economy.

Protects communities from fire

The communities in and near the Monument need to be protected from destructive fires.

Supports connection of all to place

Create a cost-effective plan

Is cost effective to administer, research & monitor

The plan is cost-effective to administer. Alternatives differ in how resources, mainly vegetation, fire and fuels, and wildlife habitat would be managed. Therefore, the alternatives differ in the initial direct cost for management activities. This does not take into account the potential for secondary costs for management activities. All alternatives would require research and monitoring. Ratings are based on the cost to implement each alternative's proposals compared to current costs.

Develops cost offsets

Costs to manage the Monument are either offset by the sale of forest products (chips, logs, etc.) or they are not. This does NOT include special forest products (boughs, cones, etc.) or the sale of personal use firewood. This does NOT include special forest products (boughs, cones, etc.) or sale of personal use firewood.

Subcriteria for Create a Feasible plan

No subcriteria were included in this version. See Criterion for an explanation

Top of this page Read Criterion Return to Find Out

Subcriteria for Comply with legal requirements

Mediated Settlement Agreement Analysis Obligation

During scoping, a number of comments referred to the MSA. The MSA provided interim management direction with the goal that it would be incorporated into a Forest Plan amendment or revision within a few years. The MSA has been in effect for almost 20 years as interim direction, with portions potentially superseded by amendments to the Forest Plan through the 2001 Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (2001 SNFPA) and 2007 Sierra Nevada Forests Management Indicator Species.

A number of public comments referred back to the direction and/or compliance with the 1990 Sequoia National Forest Land Management Plan Mediated Settlement Agreement. The MSA provided interim management direction with the goal that it would be incorporated into a forest plan amendment or revision in the near future.

The MSA has been in effect for almost 20 years as interim direction, with portions potentially superseded by amendments to the 1988 Sequoia National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan through the 2001 SNFPA and/or 2007 SNF MIS.

Proclamations (Bush and Clinton)

The 1992 President H.W. Bush and 2000 President W.J. Clinton proclamations provided management direction for the giant sequoias and the Monument area. The direction provided by these proclamations applies to all the alternatives.

Laws, regulations and policies

Laws, regulation and policies provide direction within which all the alternatives must be developed and implemented.

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Criteria and Subcriteria

Criteria

Protect individual objects

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Increase ecosystem health

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Manage/allow fire

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Increase enjoyment of the Monument

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Foster socio-economics

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Create a cost-effective plan

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Create a Feasible plan

Subcriteria

Read more about Feasibility in the Background page

Comply with legal requirements

Subcriteria

Read more in the Draft EIS

Subcriteria

Subcriteria for Protect individual objects

Geology (spires, domes, caves)

Read more in the Draft EIS

Individually named Giant Sequoia

Read more in the Draft EIS

Individual cultural resources

Read more in the Draft EIS

Individual threatened and endangered species

Read more in the Draft EIS

Subcriteria for Increase ecosystem health

Diversity of flora and fauna species

Read more in the Draft EIS

Resilience to Disturbance

Read more in the Draft EIS

Mixed conifer

Read more in the Draft EIS

Mixed conifer emphasizing groves

Read more in the Draft EIS

Hardwoods (Oak & Savanna)

Read more in the Draft EIS

Caves

Read more in the Draft EIS

Hydrologic systems

Read more in the Draft EIS

Subcriteria for Manage/allow Fire

Increase efforts to restore natural fire processes

Read more in the Draft EIS

Protect objects outside WUIs, Groves & At-risk Habitat

Read more in the Draft EIS

Protect objects in WUIs, Groves & At-risk Habitat

Read more in the Draft EIS

No "unwanted" fire

Read more in the Draft EIS

Minimize impacts of Air Quality on people

Read more in the Draft EIS

Effect on aesthetics (Scenery)

Read more in the Draft EIS

Protect Human Safety outside WUI

Read more in the Draft EIS

Protecting Human Safety IN WUI

Read more in the Draft EIS

Subcriteria for Increase enjoyment of the Monument

Enjoy the objects of interest

Read more in the Draft EIS

Promotes diversity of users

Read more in the Draft EIS

Promotes diversity of uses

Read more in the Draft EIS

Provides access

Read more in the Draft EIS

Connects people to others and across generations