Dear Friends and Neighbors of the Siuslaw National Forest,
This letter is to let you know that the Forest Service’s Marys Peak Communication Site Project Draft Decision Notice and FONSI has been completed. The BPA, in cooperation with the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, has finalized the Environmental Assessment (EA) for this project. This is a notice for the start of the Pre-Decisional Administrative Review (Objection) period for the portion of the project that occurs on Forest Service jurisdiction. We expect the 45-day legal notice to be issued on December 15, 2021.
Project Summary:
The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to update the inadequate communications equipment at the Marys Peak communications site through consolidating buildings and installing a new 60-foot communication tower. These actions are necessary to meet the standards of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) and the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC). The portion of the project area that occurs on Forest Service administered lands is located about 12 miles southwest of Corvallis, in Benton County, Oregon (see below map) on Marys Peak, within Townships 12 South, Range 7 West and Section 21 of the Willamette Meridian. Five alternatives (including a No Action) were analyzed in the Draft EA, some which occurred off Forest Service jurisdiction.
Opportunity to Object and Timeframe:
The EA and other related documents are available on the Bonneville Power Administration Website at: https://www.bpa.gov/efw/Analysis/NEPADocuments/Pages/Marys-Peak-BPA-Communications-Site-Project.aspx
The draft Decision Notice and FONSI are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50453
The objection process only applies to actions taken on Forest Service managed lands. Any objections related to actions on non-Forest Service managed lands will not qualify. Objections may be submitted in the following ways but must be received by Robert Sanchez, Forest Supervisor, the Objection Deciding Officer, within 45 days from the date of publication of notice of objection in the Eugene Register-Guard.:
The project is subject to pre-decisional administrative review pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subpart B. The 45-day objection period begins the day following publication of notice of objection in the Eugene-Register Guard, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the Eugene Register-Guard is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Attachments to the Objection received after the 45-day objection period will not be considered. Those wishing to object to this Draft Decision Notice should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.
Only individuals or organizations who submitted specific written or oral comments (36 CFR 218.2) during the designated opportunity for public participation (scoping or 30-day comment period) may object (36 CFR 218.5). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project and attributed to the objector, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the opportunities for comment. The burden is on the objector to demonstrate compliance with the requirement for objection issues 36 CFR 218.8 (c).
Minimum requirements of an objection are described in 36 CFR 218.8 (d). An objection must include: 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 for the reviewing officer to consider; and a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunities for comment.
Katie Isacksen
