The Forest Service is seeking your comments on the Social and Ecological Resilience Across the Landscape2.0(SERAL2.0) Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Comments on the DEIS will be accepted for 45-days following the publication of the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the DEIS in the Federal Register (expected February 16, 2024). Once published, a copy of the NOA will be posted on the project website. The NOA published in the Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating this 45-day comment period. You should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.
The Forest Service values public participation. Communications from the public regarding this project, including commenters' names and contact information, will become part of the public record. Comments, including anonymous comments, will be accepted at any time. However, comments posted after the close of a designated comment period may not be able to be given full consideration.
The team and Responsible Official will use your comments to develop the FEIS and Record of Decisions.
As a reminder, the SERAL 2.0 project has been granted approval by the Chief of the Forest Service, Randy Moore, to proceed using the Western Fireshed Emergency Authority (EAD; BIL 40807). However, in response to feedback regarding the use of the EAD authority, after consideration of all DEIS comments received and preparation of the Final EIS, the responsible official will prepare more than one decision.
The first SERAL 2.0 record of decision (ROD) will be prepared in accordance with the EAD authority (“SERAL 2.0 EAD ROD”). With EAD authority, the SERAL 2.0 EAD ROD is not subject to administrative review. The SERAL 2.0 EAD ROD will include the decision and rationale related to the proposed actions presented in DEIS Chapters 2.01, 2.02, 2.03, 2.05, 2.06, 2.08, 2.10, 2.11, and 2.12. The SERAL 2.0 EAD ROD will be signed no sooner than 30-days after the Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Final EIS is published in the Federal Register (NOA publication expected in early May 2024).
A more deliberative process will be used to reach a decision related to the proposed use of herbicides for fuelbreak maintenance (DEIS Chapter 2.04) and the salvage of insect-, disease-, drought-, and fire-killed trees (DEIS Chapter 2.07). A draft of the responsible official’s decision related to the use of herbicides for fuelbreak maintenance and salvage will be made available for a 45-day administrative review opportunity, also known as an objection period, sometime in the summer or fall of 2024. Anyone submitting comments related to these two categories of actions during a designated comment period (i.e., the 30-day scoping period or this 45-day DEIS comment period) will be eligible to submit a written objection to the second SERAL 2.0 record of decision and participate in the objection resolution process.
Benjamin Cossel
