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

Objections Received

The objection filing period for the Land Management Plan and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the Gila National Forest ended on September 30, 2024. The Forest Service received 15 eligible objection letters from individuals and organizations. Topics included: 2012 Planning Rule, Air Quality, Botany, Climate Change, Endangered Species Act, Fire and Fuels, Hydrology, Indigenous Knowledge, Invasive Species, National Environmental Policy Act, National Forest Management Act, Range, Recreation, Silviculture, Socioeconomics, Species of Conservation Concern, Threatened and Endangered Species, Timber Management, Transportation, Travel Management, Wild and Scenic River, Wilderness.

Request for Interested Persons

On October 10, 2024, the US Forest Service published a legal notice in the Silver City Daily Press (newspaper of record) initiating a 10-day period to file a request to participate as an interested person in any discussions between the Forest Service and the objectors related to the issues they raised in objection and potential resolution. The deadline to file is Monday, October 21, 2024.

Objection 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. We anticipate holding a resolution meeting in mid-January. Additional information regarding the meeting including the exact dates, times, format, location, and agenda will be sent to objectors and interested persons and posted on this webpage in December.

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 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). Comments are considered substantive formal comments when they are within the scope of the proposal, are specific to the proposal, have a direct relationship to the proposal, and include supporting reasons for the Responsible Official to consider (36 CFR 219.62).

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

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, Tribal governments, and other agencies

Formally identified cooperating agencies with a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for participation in plan revision and Federally recognized Tribal governments 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 form below 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 Tribal government indicates that they are interested in an objection related to identification of species of conservation concern, that request will be forwarded to the species of conservation concern reviewing officer.

See the Legal notice of objections filed and interested persons requests for additional information

Final Written Response and Extension of Review

All objectors will receive a written response to their objection prior to a final decision being made on the Gila National Forest Plan. The 90-day objection review period ends on December 27, 2024. In order to provide for an adequate response to the objections and to participate in discussions with eligible objectors and interested persons, the reviewing officers have elected to extend the review period as provided by the regulation at 36 CFR 219.56(g).

link to the Interested Person Request Form