NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT USDA FOREST SERVICE, BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST, BEARLODGE RANGER DISTRICT NORTH SAND FOREST MANAGEMENT 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 North Sand Forest Management Project. The proposed action is to be located on the Bearlodge Ranger District, Black Hills National Forest, south of Beulah, Wyoming. The Responsible Official for this decision is Shawn Cochran, Forest Supervisor. The Responsible Official is planning to implement the Modified Proposed Action, which proposes the following activities: Ponderosa pine thinning, timber harvest, fuel reduction, prescribed burning, and tree planting, and connected activities such as road maintenance and improvement. The project area consists of 11,062 acres of National Forest lands. Commercial timber harvest would occur on 2,190 acres, other fuel reduction on 3,601 acres, and prescribed fire on 3,287 acres. Reconstruction of 1.2 miles of existing road would occur. No new permanent roads would be constructed. The project’s purpose is to reduce hazard of uncharacteristically severe fire near developed areas and sensitive habitat, improve tree growth and winter range conditions, and promote pine regeneration. The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the North Sand Forest Management Project are available upon request at the Bearlodge Ranger District office, 101 S. 21st St., Sundance, Wyoming. This document is also available at the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Custer, South Dakota, as well as the Black Hills National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills/projects/65540. Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Elizabeth Krueger, Resource Planner, at 307-283-1361 or by e-mail at elizabeth.krueger@usda.gov. The North Sand Forest Management 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 a legal notice of opportunity to object to be published on March 15, 2025, in the Rapid City Journal, 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. 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 at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=65540, with “North Sand Forest Management 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. Note: Any person who wishes to fax an objection should contact Scarlett Vallaire, Administrative Review Coordinator, via phone at 801-989-6605 or email at scarlett.vallaire@usda.gov. Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: Reviewing Officer, C/O Director of Strategic Planning, 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, C/O Director of Strategic Planning, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO 80401. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding Federal holidays, for hand delivery. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Elizabeth Krueger
