Interested Person Request for the Ashley National Forest Land Management Plan Revision Objection Process and/or Species of Conservation Concern

Objection Process and Resolution Meetings

The Forest Service objection process allows the agency to consider public concerns early on, before a decision is made, aligning with the Forest Service’s collaborative approach to forest management and increasing the likelihood of resolving ongoing concerns (36 CFR 219, Subpart B). Prior to the issuance of the reviewing officer's written objection response, either the reviewing officer or the objector may request to meet to discuss issues raised in the objection and potential resolution. Resolution meetings are open to observation by the public, but only objectors and interested persons may actively participate (36 CFR 219.57). The intent of the resolution meeting is to clarify issues and explore potential remedies so that the reviewing officer gains full understanding of the issues, including the perspectives of interested persons at that time.

Interested Person Requests

To be formally recognized as an interested person, you must file a request to participate in an objection as an interested person within ten days after publication of the notice of objection in the newspaper of record (36 CFR 219.56(f)). You do not need to also submit an objection to be an interested person. However, you must have previously provided substantive comment during the opportunities for public comment provided during the planning process (plan assessment, scoping, review of draft EIS).

Interested person requests must include the following information and you are encouraged to use the attached form:

1. name and affiliation, if any, of the requester;
2. mailing address, phone number, and email address (if available) for the requester;
3. the objection issue(s) the requester has an interest in;
4. a brief explanation of the requester’s interest in the objection(s) and any specific concern(s), including a description of support or opposition to the objection(s); and
5. a statement demonstrating the requester’s previous participation in the planning process (when the requestor submitted written comments to, or oral comments recorded by, the responsible official or his designee during an opportunity for public participation provided during the planning process (36 CFR 219.4 and 219.16).

Cooperating agencies and other agencies

Formally identified cooperating agencies with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for participation in plan revision and governments of federally recognized tribes are automatically granted interested person status. However, they must notify the reviewing officer of their interest in specific objections and intent to participate, so that the reviewing officer is able to provide notification of relevant meetings (Forest Service Handbook 1909.12, chapter 50, section 51.61(2)(b)). Please use the attached form and indicate your status as a cooperating agency or federally recognized tribe in the check-box feature of the attached form. Agencies without a MOU and other stakeholders must submit a request for interested persons status as described in the previous section.

Species of Conservation Concern

Please note that the identification of species of conservation concern, in most cases, requires a different reviewing officer (36 CFR 219.56(e)(2)). Therefore, if an interested person, cooperating agency, or federally recognized tribe indicates that their interest relates to an objection or part of an objection pertaining to the identification of species of conservation concern, that request will be forwarded by the reviewing officer for the plan to the reviewing officer for the identification of species of conservation concern.