The Forest Service proposes using a combination of vegetation, fuels, and restoration activities to improve ecosystem conditions and reduce risk of uncharacteristic wildfire and associated adverse effects to the watershed within the Big Cottonwood Canyon drainage and tributaries.
The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (UWCNF) is initiating combined public scoping and comment for Big Cottonwood Canyon Watershed Restoration Project. The comment period opens June 10, 2026 and ends June 23, 2026.
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the UWCNF has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposal of watershed restoration activities to improve ecosystem conditions and reduce risks of adverse effects to the watershed from wildfires on the Salt Lake Ranger District. The action proposed by the Forest Service would create and promote conditions in the canyon that reduce the risks of and effects from wildfires by thinning vegetation and creating shaded fuel breaks over approximately 4,900 acres of NFS lands within the approximate 18,000 acre project boundary.
This project, which implements the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as amended, is pursued under authority of an Emergency Action Determination. The Fuels and Forest Health Emergency Action Determination (ESD) was established by a Secretarial Memo (1078-006) on April 4, 2025 and includes actions that relate to wildfire risk reduction and timber actions. This ESD includes the waiver of pre-decisional administrative review under 36 CFR 218. The Big Cottonwood Canyon Watershed Restoration project is within the ESD area and meets the intent and actions covered by the determination. This authority, combined with the heavy fuel loading within BCC and the historically low snowpack from the 2025-2026 winter and resulting potential wildfire activity, has led the Forest Service to pursue the proposed action under an emergency situation determination. That determination has been approved. Therefore, this decision is not subject to the objection regulations found at 36 Code of Federal Regulations 218, subparts A and B. The 14-day comment period on the proposal and draft EA represents an opportunity for the public to provide specific written comments on the project.
The project documents for review and a link to provide online comments are available at the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/uinta-wasatch-cache/projects/303870
Please submit hand-written comments to: Adam Shaw, District Ranger at 6944 S 3000 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84121. Business hours for submitting hand-delivered comments are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The office business hours for submitting hand-delivered comments are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, excluding holidays.
For further information about the proposal, please contact Adam Shaw via email at FS-comments-intermtn-wasatch-cache-saltlake@usda.gov.
Adam Shaw
