Thomas

In this appeal, we consider whether the United States Forest Service (“Forest Service”) violated the National Forest Management Act (“NFMA” or “the Act”), 16 U.S.C. § 1600 , et seq., in preparing a Forest Plan for the Prescott National Forest. We conclude that the Forest Service complied with the Act, and affirm the judgment of the district court.

I

The Prescott National Forest (“Forest”) is a unit of the National Forest System located in a relatively mountainous area in central Arizona, about 70 air miles north of Phoenix. Following its creation in 1908, the original Forest area was supplemented by additional land over the years, and it now contains approximately 1,227,000 acres. The Forest Service manages the Forest for a variety of uses, including camping, backpacking and horseback riding. It has historically also been used for livestock grazing, managed through the issuance of grazing permits to ranchers on a total of 69 separate grazing allotments.

The NFMA requires the Forest Service to develop and maintain a forest management plan for each unit of the National Forest System. See 16 U.S.C. § 1604 (a). The forest plans must provide for multiple uses of forests, including…