"Every national forest managed by the Forest Service is required to have a land management plan (also referred to as "the plan" in this document) that is consistent with the National Forest Management Act of 19761 (NFMA) and other laws. The NFMA directs that plans be revised on a 10- to 15-year cycle. Thirty years have passed since the Regional Forester approved the original Carson National Forest Plan in September 1986 (USDA 1986). Since that time, the 1986 plan has been amended 16 times. Scientific information, circumstances, agency and public understanding, as well as economic, social, and ecological conditions, have changed or evolved over the past 30 years and, as a result, management emphasis has shifted from outputs to outcomes. Land management plans are one of three levels of planning and decision-making that guide how NFS lands are managed."--p.6 of the Draft Land Management Plan.