LEGAL NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT
USDA FOREST SERVICE
WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST, ASPEN-SOPRIS RANGER DISTRICT
EL JEBEL ADMINISTRATIVE SITE, UPPER PARCEL CONVEYANCE PROJECT
The USDA Forest Service has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the El Jebel Administrative Site, Upper Parcel Conveyance Project. The proposed action is to be located on the Aspen-Sopris District of the White River National Forest. This parcel is located on the El Jebel administrative site, between Colorado State Highway 82 and the Roaring Fork River near El Jebel, Colorado in Eagle County. It is bounded by Crown Mountain Park to the east, Valley Road to the north, and the Roaring Fork River to the south, with a legal description situated in Tracts 43, 44 and 45 of Township 8 South, Range 87 West of the 6th P.M., County of Eagle, State of Colorado of N1/2 of Sec. 3, NE1/4 of Sec. 4, T. 8 S., R. 87 W., 6th P.M. The site is outside the administrative boundary of the White River National Forest. The Responsible Official for this decision is Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor.
The Responsible Official is planning to implement the Proposed Action, which proposes the following activities: The Forest Service is proposing to convey, through sale or lease, all or a portion of the Upper parcel at its El Jebel administrative site. The associated water rights and mineral estate may also be conveyed. If the Forest Service retains a portion of the Upper Parcel, it will remain an administrative site with uses similar to current use, including Forest Service housing, storage, and boneyard space.
The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the El Jebel Administrative Site, Upper Parcel Conveyance Project are available upon request at the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District office, 620 Main Street, Carbondale, CO 81623. This document is also available on the White River National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50663. Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Jennifer Schuller, Deputy District Ranger at 970-404-3163 or by e-mail at jennifer.schuller@usda.gov.
The El Jebel Administrative Site, Upper Parcel Conveyance Project is an activity implementing a land management plan. This activity is subject to pre-decisional objection under subparts A and B of 36 CFR Part 218.
Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days following publication of this notice in the Post Independent, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Objectors should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the objector’s responsibility to ensure timely filing of a written objection with the reviewing officer pursuant to 36 CFR 218.9.
Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunities for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR 218.5(a). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project unless the issue is based on new information arising after the designated comment opportunities.
If you are circulating this notice as a separate notification that is not a legal notice to be published in the newspaper of record, this sentence should read, “Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days following publication of a “legal notice of opportunity to object” [to be published or published] on [date of publication of legal notice] in [name of newspaper of record], the newspaper of record.”
The objection must contain the minimum content requirements specified in 36 CFR 218.8(d) and incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in 36 CFR 218.8(b). Objections that do not adhere to these requirements make review of an objection difficult and are conditions under which the reviewing officer may set aside an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218.10. All objections are available for public inspection during and after the objection process.
Electronic objections are preferred and must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online at [CARA link https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=50663, with “El Jebel Administrative Site, Upper Parcel Conveyance Project Objection” in the subject line. Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format that is readable with optical character recognition software (e.g., Word, PDF, Rich Text) and be searchable. An automated response should confirm your electronic objection has been received.
Objections can be faxed to the Objection Reviewing Officer at 303-275-5134. The fax coversheet must include a subject line with “OBJECTION: El Jebel Administrative Site, Upper Parcel Conveyance Project” and should specify the number of pages being submitted.
Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: Reviewing Officer, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO, 80401.
Objections sent by private carrier or hand delivery must be addressed to: Objection Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: Reviewing Officer, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO 80401. Note: Any in-person submittal must be coordinated prior to delivery by contacting Josh Sidon at 720-556-1191
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The project can be located at: https://usfs-public.box.com/s/vnby1oh9qkol9altqlrb8k5mish70hsj
Jennifer Schuller
