Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project #49124

Commenting on This Project

Notification of Opportunity to Object on the Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project

USDA Forest Service

Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Ranger District

Chelan County, Washington

The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA), draft decision notice (DN), and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the Upper Wenatchee Pilot Project. The project’s responsible official, Wenatchee River District Ranger Erica Taecker, has chosen a modified Alternative 2 as the selected alternative for the draft DN and FONSI. The selected alternative includes thinning and prescribed fire to achieve vegetation restoration objectives; stream restoration, removal or upgrade of culverts, and removal of stream barriers to meet aquatic restoration objectives; changes to the transportation network; and project design criteria to reduce environmental effects. Project documents that provide more information on the selected alternative are available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=49124.  For more information about the project, you may contact Paul Kelley, Project Lead, at paul.kelley@usda.gov.

The project is implementing the 1990 Wenatchee National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (forest plan), as amended, is not authorized under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA), and is subject to subparts A and B of 36 CFR 218.

Only objections from those individuals or organizations who have previously submitted timely, specific written comments during a prior designated opportunity for comment will be considered (36 CFR 218.5(a)). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project and attributed to the objector, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the opportunities for comment.

Individual members of organizations must have submitted their own comments to meet the requirements of eligibility as an individual. Objections received on behalf of an organization are considered as those of the organization only. If an objection is submitted on behalf of a number of individuals or organizations, each individual or organization listed must meet the eligibility requirement of having previously submitted comments on the project (36 CFR 218.7). Names and addresses of objectors will become part of the public record.

Objections must be filed with the Objection Reviewing Officer, Forest Supervisor Kristin Bail, within 45 days following the publication date of this legal notice in the newspaper of record, the Wenatchee World. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection to this project. Those wishing to object should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.  If the comment period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, objections will be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day. It is the responsibility of objectors to ensure that their objection is received in a timely manner (36 CFR 218.9).

Objections can be submitted online at: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=49124 or by going to the project’s website  and clicking on “Comment/Object on Project” link on the right sidebar. Mailed objections should be sent to Objection Reviewing Officer, Forest Supervisor Kristin Bail, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, USDA Forest Service, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee, WA 98801. Mailed objections must be postmarked within 45 days of the publication of the legal notice. Faxed objections should be sent to 509-664-9280.

At this time, the Forest Supervisor’s office is closed for remodeling. Therefore, the Objection Reviewing Officer can only accept hand-delivered objections with advance coordination through Chris Worthington, acting Forest Environmental Coordinator, at christopher.worthington@usda.gov.

The objection must meet the content requirements of 36 CFR 218.8(d), and include the following information: 1) the objector's name and address, with a telephone number or email address, if available; 2) a signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature for email may be filed with the objection); 3) when multiple names are listed on an objection, identification of the lead objector as defined in 36 CFR 218.2 (verification of the identity of the lead objector shall be provided upon request); 4) the name of the project being objected to, the name and title of the responsible official, and the name of the national forest and ranger district on which the project will be implemented ; 5) a description of those aspects of the project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the project and, if applicable, how the objector believes the environmental analysis or draft decision specifically violates law, regulation, or policy; suggested remedies that would resolve the objection; and supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider; and 6) a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular project or activity and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunity for formal comment. With certain exceptions (36 CFR 218.8(b)), all documents referenced in the objection must be included with the objection.

Objections will be available to the public and will become part of the project record. Names and contact information submitted with objections will become part of the public record and may be released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Questions?

If you have a question about this project, please send it to:

Paul Kelley

Wenatchee River Ranger District
600 Sherbourne , Leavenworth, WA, 98826
paul.kelley@usda.gov