(a) Authorized officers must identify measurable and quantifiable restoration outcomes consistent with the restoration principles enumerated in § 6102.3 in all resource management plans.

(b) Authorized officers will, at least every 5 years, identify priority landscapes for restoration consistent with resource management plan objectives and the restoration principles enumerated in § 6102.3. In doing so, authorized officers must consider:

(1) Current conditions and causes of degradation as indicated by watershed condition assessments, existing land health assessments, evaluations, and determinations, and other high-quality information (see § 6103.2);

(2) The likelihood of success of restoration activities to achieve resource or conservation objectives including ecosystem resilience;

(3) Where restoration actions may have the most social and economic benefits or work to address environmental justice, including impacts on communities with environmental justice concerns; and

(4) Where restoration or mitigation can minimize or offset unnecessary or undue degradation, such as ecosystem conversion, fragmentation, habitat loss, or other negative outcomes that permanently impair ecosystem resilience.

(c) For priority landscapes identified in accordance with this subpart, authorized officers must periodically, and at least every 5 years, develop or amend restoration plans consistent with resource management plan objectives in accordance with part 1600 of this chapter. Each restoration plan must include goals, objectives, and management actions that are:

(1) Consistent with the restoration principles enumerated in § 6102.3;

(2) Commensurate with recovery potential;

(3) Evaluated against measurable objectives, including to facilitate adaptive management to achieve outcomes supporting ecosystem resilience (see subpart 6103);

(4) Developed consistent with scientifically accepted standards and principles for restoration; and

(5) Consistent with statewide and regional needs as identified in the assessment of priority landscapes for restoration as identified in this subpart.

(d) Authorized officers must track restoration implementation and progress toward achieving goals at appropriate temporal scales. If restoration goals are not met, authorized officers must assess why restoration outcomes are not being achieved and what, if any, additional resources or changes to management are needed to achieve restoration goals.