CHICAGO, March 23 (Reuters) - Dallas Federal Reserve Bank President Robert Kaplan said Thursday that trimming the balance sheet is an appropriate step for the future, and the Fed should communicate its plan for doing so clearly and in advance.

"In my view it's critical that our plan for the balance sheet is patient and gradual, and try to minimize disruption" to markets, Kaplan told reporters after a talk here.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek; writing by Ann Saphir; editing by Diane Craft)