After a community decides to plan, the next step in planning is to establish a plan committee and design the planning process your community would like to follow.  The process does not need to be costly or complicated.  But public participation is important during the planning for planning stage.  Municipalities can work together or separately.    For your plan to address forests, your community will need to identify professionals and stakeholders in forest issues. Finally, a number of questions need to be addressed in your outline for writing your plan.
You can start to get involved in County, State, and/or National forest management planning by visiting the websites of the parties responsible for managing these lands and asking to be included in any public notices about current planning.  You can also find out who represents you in decision making about these lands and discuss your ideas with these people.   (Click on the words County, State, or National in the sentence above). get on committee, visit forest

What is the target date for adopting the plan?  
Decide on when your community would like to be finished writing the plan.

When should all municipalities be on board?
Determine which townships, cities, or villages your community will collaborate with or whether your community intends to write its own plan. 

Who is responsible for facilitating public meetings?
Designate the people responsible for ensuring that meeting agendas and goals are met and that meaningful public participation is achieved at meetings.

Where will data come from? Will new data be needed? Will any inventories be done? 
Review existing data that is pertinent to your plan.  Network with stakeholders and professionals who can provide information or refer your community to sources.  Decide what inventories will be done. 

Will a public survey be sent out? When is the target date for having a final plan?
Decide whether any public opinion surveys will be conducted.

 Will your community contract with a private firm or write its own plan?
 

Who is responsible for each step of the planning process?
Certain local agencies will have more resources and will be better able to help with certain steps of the planning process. 

Can we afford to plan? What is the cost of not planning?
Estimate how much  it will cost to hire consultants, conduct surveys, conduct meetings, communicate with the public.  How much will negative effects of not planning cost your community if you decide not to plan?

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