The Tongass National Forest (Tongass) in southeast Alaska is unlike any other national forest. It is larger; its administrative and geographic structures differ; and although it is subject to the same laws that apply to other national forests, it has also had laws written specifically for it. Like the other national forests, the Tongass is required by law to develop a plan to manage its lands and resources (commonly called a forest plan,) and to revise the plan at least every 15 years. On average, the revision process is estimated to take 4 years and to cost about $3 million. The Department of Agriculture's Forest Service approved the first Tongass forest plan in 1979, and in July 1987, the agency began the process to revise it. Almost 10 years and over $13 million later, in May 1997, the Forest Service approved a revised forest plan to manage the Tongass's lands and resources. Interested and affected parties subsequently appealed the plan within the 90 days provided for appeals under the agency's planning regulations. In April 1999, the Department of Agriculture's Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment approved modifications to the management direction in the 1997 plan to address certain concerns raised in the appeals and decided the appeals on the basis of the modified plan.