Responsible Official Steve Hattenbach, Forest Supervisor of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands, has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and draft Decision Notice (DN) for the proposed Puerco Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project and the proposed project-specific Forest Plan amendments have been prepared.
The project area consists of 80,977 acres on the Mount Taylor Ranger District, south of Interstate 40 in the western half of the Zuni Mountains. Treatments include mechanical and hand thinning, fuelwood collection areas, prescribe burning, spring and watershed restoration activities, range and infrastructure improvements.
The purpose of the Puerco Project is to reestablish and restore forest structure and pattern, forest health, vegetation composition and diversity, and fire frequency in forest ecosystems to conditions within the natural range of variability. The outcome of improving structure and function is increased ecosystem resiliency. Resiliency allows for the ability of an ecological system to absorb disturbances, such as fire, insects and disease, and climate change, while retaining the same basic structure and ways of functioning and the capacity to adapt to stress and change.
The EA, FONSI, supporting documentation, and draft DN are available online at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50987. These documents are also available for review at the Mount Taylor Ranger District, 1800 Lobo Canyon Road, Grants, NM 87010 or Cibola National Forest Supervisor’s Office, 2113 Osuna Road, Albuquerque, NM 87113. Additional information regarding this action can be obtained from: Shawn Martin, 505-346-3856, shawn.a.martin@usda.gov.
This proposed project and Forest Plan amendments are subject to the objection process pursuant to 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B, as the Forest Plan amendments will be approved in a decision document approving a project and the amendments apply only to the project. Objections to the Puerco Project or to the Forest Plan amendments will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted timely comments regarding these planning efforts during any designated opportunity for public comment, unless based on information not available during an earlier designated opportunity for public comment (i.e., new information).
Objections on the Puerco Project or Forest Plan amendment must be submitted within 45 calendar days following the publication of the notice in the Albuquerque Journal. Those wishing to object should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. A timely submission will be determined by USPS postmark, the agency’s electronically generated posted date and time for email and facsimiles; shipping date for delivery by private carrier, official agency date stamp showing receipt of hand delivery. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure timely receipt of any objections submitted.
Objections, including attachments, must be addressed to the Reviewing Official, Calvin Joyner, Regional Forester, filed via mail, express delivery, or messenger service to 333 Broadway Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102; by facsimile to (505) 842-3800; by email to objections-southwestern-regional-office@fs.fed.us; or by hand-delivery to 333 Broadway Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. An automated response will confirm the electronic objection has been received. If an automated response is not received, it is the sender’s responsibility to ensure timely filing by other means. Electronic objections must be submitted in MS Word, Word Perfect, portable document format (PDF), or rich text format (RTF). The subject line for electronic submissions should contain Puerco Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project.
Eligible objections must be filed, in writing, with the reviewing officer and must be open to public inspection during the objection process. At a minimum, an objection must include the following: (1) The objector’s name and address, along with a telephone number or email address if available; (2) Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection; (3) Identification of the lead objector, when multiple names are listed on an objection, and verification of the identity of the lead objector, if requested. Individual members of an entity must have submitted their own individual comments in order to have eligibility to object as an individual. Additional requirements are included below. Including documents by reference is limited. Please contact Shawn Martin for further information.
In addition to the identifying information outlined above, written objection comments on the proposed project must include (1) the name of the proposed project, the name and title of the responsible official, and the name(s) of the forest or district on which the proposed project will be implemented; (2) 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 the reviewing officer should consider; and (3) 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 opportunity(ies) for comment. Specific written comments are written comments within the scope of the proposed action, with a direct relationship to the proposed action, and included supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider.
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