It covers ten million hectares within Western Oregon and Washington, as well as a small part of Northern California.
[1] The NWFP was adopted in 1994 by the Clinton administration as the outcome of a series of studies and hearings that began in 1993;[2] in response to over-harvesting of old growth forests, threatening northern spotted owl populations.
During the development of the NWFP, President Bill Clinton directed ten federal agencies responsible for forest management, fisheries, wildlife, tribal relations, and national parks to work with scientists on region-wide forest plans that would be "scientifically sound, ecologically credible, and legally responsible".
The plan has shifted emphasis from logging for economic gain to conservation and preservation of aquatic reserves including endangered fish stocks.
In addition, the US forest service holds a lot of the authority and management decision making processes within the plan area.