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NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT

USDA FOREST SERVICE GRAND MESA, UNCOMPAHGRE AND GUNNISON NATIONAL FORESTS

OURAY RANGER DISTRICT

BLUE LAKES VISITOR USE MANAGEMENT PLAN

The USDA Forest Service has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan. The proposed action is to be located on the Ouray Ranger District of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG). The Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan (Plan) addresses visitor use management and stewardship of 16,200 acres, including a portion of the Mount Sneffels Wilderness and surrounding areas.

The Responsible Officials for this decision are Dana Gardunio, Ouray District Ranger and Acting Forest Supervisor, James Pitts, who is responsible only for approving a site-specific forest plan amendment. The Responsible Official is planning to implement the Proposed Action (Alternative 2) as identified in the EA. The proposed Plan would guide the creation of a visitor use management strategy to restore and preserve natural conditions by addressing the biophysical impacts that are occurring due to the increase of use within the planning boundary. The selected alternative includes a variety of management strategies to achieve desired conditions and experiences throughout the planning area. Of particular importance, the plan establishes a day and overnight visitor use permit requirement within the Blue Lakes area, an extremely popular portion of the Mount Sneffels Wilderness.

Implementation of this permit system will require careful planning, including outreach and efforts to inform visitors of pending changes. As such, the permit system would not take effect until the summer of 2025 at the earliest. Ranger Gardunio’s proposed decision is based on several years of monitoring data, inventories, public comments, and analyses presented in the EA.

Analyses demonstrate the need for action to protect the natural resources and Wilderness values within and around the planning area. Another aspect of the plan includes restricting camping to sustainable, designated campsites within the plan area. The Plan includes specific implementation actions to address documented degradation of the ecological and human environment. The plan requires monitoring of effectiveness regarding visitor use experience and ecological recovery. Should monitoring indicate that initial actions are insufficient to achieve plan objectives, the plan includes flexibility and adaptive measures to ensure the purpose and need is achieved.

Following signature of the DN/ FONSI, a monitoring and implementation plan including a communication plan would be completed. Monitoring and implementation of many plan components will begin in the summer of 2024.

Because the current forest plan only addresses future permitting for the entire Mt. Sneffels Wilderness, a site-specific forest plan amendment was identified in the EA that is required to allow a permit system in only part of the wilderness. The Acting Forest Supervisor is therefore proposing to approve the site-specific amendment concurrent with the proposed action in the same DN/FONSI.

The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan will be available upon request at the Ouray Ranger District office, 2505 South Townsend, Montrose, Colorado. These documents are also available via the GMUG’s project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/gmug/?project=61979.

Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Neil Perry, District Recreation Staff, at 970-240-5429 or by e-mail at neil.perry@usda.gov.

The Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan 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. As no specific (or substantive) written comments were submitted on the proposed forest plan amendment during public comment periods, that aspect of the decision is not subject to objection per 36 CFR 218.4 and 36 CFR 219.51.

Objections must meet all of the requirements of 36 CFR 218.8, including but not limited to: a description of those aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the proposed project; 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; supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider; and a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project or activity and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunities for comment.

Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days following publication of this notice in the Montrose Daily Press, 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. A courtesy copy of the legal notice is also being published in the Ouray Plaindealer.

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. 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 eligible objections are available for public inspection.

Electronic objections are preferred and must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online below, with “Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan 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 also be faxed to the Objection Reviewing Officer at 970-874-6698. The fax coversheet must include a subject line with “OBJECTION: Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan Project Objection” and should specify the number of pages being submitted.

Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to by private carrier or hand delivery must be addressed to: Reviewing Officer, James Pitts, ATTN: Blue Lakes Visitor Use Management Plan, 2250 South Main St., Delta, Colorado 81416. For hand delivery, office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, excluding Federal holidays. 

Objection Sample Template

Lead Objector: ______________________

Objections are limited to the scope of this particular project.

A. Description of those aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the proposed project:

B. How the objector believes the environmental analysis or draft decision specifically violates law, regulation, or policy:

C. Suggested remedies that would resolve the objection:

D. Supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider:

E. Unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunity(ies) for comment, provide a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project and the content of this objection.