Chester Progressive Public Notices for the week of 7/26/17

Opportunity to Give Scoping Comments on the Little Bear Forest Health Restoration Project

The Almanor Ranger District of the Lassen National Forest is initiating scoping for the Little Bear Forest Health Restoration Project. The proposed project was originally part of the Grizzly Restoration Project scoped on May 1, 2015. Since 2015 it was decided to separate the Little Bear analysis. With this project, the Lassen National Forest is proposing to enhance the health and vigor of forested stands by reducing tree density on approximately 241 acres.

Copies of the proposed action, purpose and need, and decision to be made, are available at the Almanor Ranger District office located at 900 E. Highway 36, Chester, CA 96020-0767, and the Lassen National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/lassen. Comments should relate to the proposed action and identification of any issues (point of discussion, debate, or dispute) about the anticipated effects from this proposed action. Responses must be in a written format to have standing during the objection period for this project. Please respond on or before August 9, 2017 so your input can be considered as we move into the next phase of the National Environmental Policy Act process.

The Little Bear Forest Health Restoration Project is subject to the Pre-decisional Administrative Review (Objection) process as described under 36 CFR 218, subparts A & B for non-Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA) projects. To be eligible to object to an environmental assessment under this regulation, an individual or organization must submit timely, specific written comments regarding a proposed project during scoping or any other public comment period established by the responsible official (36 CFR 218.5(a)). The commenter is responsible for providing literature cited in their comment, as well as the full citation and an explanation of how each piece of literature cited applies to the proposed action. A 30-day legal notice and comment period will be provided for this project. A 45-day objection period prior to a decision being made will follow rather than a post- decisional appeal period.

Scoping comments may be submitted to: Eric Stemmerman, Acting District Ranger, Almanor Ranger District, P.O. Box 767, 900 East Highway 36, Chester, CA 96020 and fax number (530) 258-5194. The Almanor Ranger District business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Electronic comments may be submitted through the project specific electronic comment form at: https://www.f [email protected],s.usda.gov/lassen, with the subject line of Little Bear Project. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), portable document format (pdf), or MS Word (.doc or .docx).

A decision regarding this proposal is expected in January 2018. For more information on the project, please contact Laura Corral, District Silviculturist, by phone at (530) 258-5156 or email at [email protected].

Published CP

July 26, 2017|