Opportunity to comment on Acer burning and thinning project
LEGAL NOTICE
OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT
USDA Forest Service
Lassen National Forest
Eagle Lake Ranger District
Lassen County, Utah
Acer Vegetation Management
The Eagle Lake Ranger District of the Lassen National Forest has drafted an environmental assessment (EA) to analyze the potential effects of thinning and burning within the Acer project area. A comment period is being provided on this DRAFT EA pursuant to 36 CFR 218.22. The Acer Project is located 18 miles northwest of Susanville, CA. It includes Township (T) 33 North (N), Range (R) 9 East (E), Sections 25, 35, and 36; T33N, R10E, Sections 25, 30, 31, 35, 36; T32N, R9E, Sections 1, 2, 9 through 16, 21 through 27, and 34 through 36; T32N, R10E, Sections 2, 6 through 10, 15 through 22, 27 through 34; T31N, R9E, Section 1; and T31N, R10E, Sections 4 through 8 of the Mount Diablo Meridian..
The purpose of this project is to implement the Lassen National Forest LRMP by proposing vegetation treatments designed specifically to meet the desired conditions for the Acer Project area: 1) healthy forest conditions that are characterized by more open forested stands dominated by fire-resilient tree species, reduced surface fuel loads and ladder fuels where periodic low-intensity surface fires can be re-introduced and where wildfires can be safely fought, 2) forest areas with reduced tree densities that decrease risk of mortality from insects, drought, and disease, 3) functioning aspen, meadow and riparian systems which contribute to landscape biodiversity, 4) cost effective treatments that contribute to community stability, and 5) management of the transportation system.
A copy of the Acer Vegetation Management DRAFT EA is now available for review at the contact address noted below and is posted on the Lassen National Forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/lassen/landmanagement/projects
Pursuant to 36 CFR 218, you are invited to comment on this proposal during a 30-day comment period. The purpose of this comment period is to provide an opportunity for the public to provide early and meaningful participation on a proposed action prior to a decision being made by the Responsible Official. Written comments must be postmarked by the Postal Service, faxed, or sent via electronic mail by 11:59 pm on the 30th calendar day following publication of this legal notice of the opportunity to comment. Letters should be submitted to: Carol Thornton, District Ranger, Eagle Lake Ranger District, 477-050 Eagle Lake Road, Susanville, CA 96130, (530) 257-4188. The Eagle Lake Ranger District office is currently closed to visitors. Phone messages are checked regularly, however, so arrangements can be made for accepting oral comments. If submitting comments via FAX, send to: (530) 252-5813. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), adobe (.pdf), or Word (.doc) format to [email protected] with Subject: Acer Vegetation Management. The publication date of this legal notice is the exclusive means for calculating the 30-day comment period. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the responsibility of all individuals and organizations to ensure their comments are received in a timely manner. The regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period.
Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to object to this project must provide, during the 30-day comment period, name, address, and comments on the proposed actions along with supporting reasons that the Responsible Official should consider in reaching a decision. A signature or other verification of identity must be provided upon request (36 CFR 218.25(3)(iv)). In cases where no identifiable name is attached to an electronic message, a verification of identity will be required for objection eligibility. A scanned signature is one way to provide verification.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this project, and will be available for public inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however those who submit anonymous comments will not have standing to appeal the subsequent decision under 36 CFR 218.
If you need copies of the DRAFT EA, please contact the Eagle River Ranger District at (530) 257-4188 or Darby Boe at [email protected]