The USDA Forest Service has prepared an environmental assessment and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact for the Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project. The proposed action is to be located on the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest & Thunder Basin National Grasslands. The project would treat up to 57,000 acres of National Forest System lands in Routt and Moffat Counties, Colorado, around the Bear Ears Peaks area. The Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project area lies within part of the central Rocky Mountains in the Elkhead Mountain Range.
The environmental analysis and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact for the Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project are available upon request at the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears Ranger District office, 925 Weiss Drive, Steamboat Springs CO 80487. This document is also available online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63970 as well as the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/mbr . Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Kevin Thompson, South Zone Fire Management Officer, project IDT leader, at 970-638-4170 or by e-mail at kevin.thompson@usda.gov
The Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project will be completed using the authority of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, Public Law 108-48, as amended by the 2014 Farm Bill, Section 8204. Projects authorized under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act are subject to the pre-decisional objection process pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and C.
Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 30 calendar days following publication of this notice in the Steamboat Pilot & Today, 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=63970, with “Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project Objection” in the subject line. Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format that is readable with optical character recognition software (e.g., Microsoft 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 (307)-745-2398. The fax coversheet must include a subject line with “OBJECTION: Bears Ears Fuels Reduction and Restoration Project” and should specify the number of pages being submitted.
Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, MBRTB Forest Supervisor’s Office: Jessica Vogt, 2468 Jackson Street Laramie, WY 82070-6535.
Objections sent by private carrier or hand delivery must be addressed to: Jessica Vogt, 2468 Jackson Street Laramie, WY 82070-6535. Office hours are Monday through Friday,8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., excluding Federal holidays, for hand delivery.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
