Dear Friends and Neighbors of the Willamette National Forest
This letter is to let you know that the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Huckleberry Campground/Trail Expansion and Forest Plan Amendment #59 Project has been completed along with the Draft Decision Notice (Draft DN) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
These documents are now available on the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55164.
The 45-day objection period will end on August 24th at midnight Pacific Standard Time.
Project Summary
The Middle Fork Ranger District proposed to construct a campground complex and 2.6 miles of single-track motorcycle trail at Huckleberry Flats Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Area on the Willamette National Forest. Two alternatives were analyzed in the EA: the proposed action and the no-action alternative. The proposed action would necessitate and include a plan-level amendment to the Willamette Forest Plan in order to convert a total of 10 acres from the “General Forest” to the “Developed Recreation” land management allocation. The project is located on Forest Service Road 1928 near the town of Oakridge Oregon in the North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River Watershed. The legal description for the project is T20S R4E Sections 7 16 and 17.
Draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact
The Draft Decision Notice articulates my impending decision to implement the proposed action because it fully addresses the purpose and need for action. The proposed action will meet the current and projected amount of OHV recreational use at Huckleberry Flats. In addition providing larger and more strategically designed parking and staging areas creating more single-track trail and reducing the number of places where different types of vehicles mix will improve visitor safety and the quality of the recreational experience for users of a variety of OHV types (up to 65 inches wide) at Huckleberry Flats. Therefore my impending decision is to amend the Forest Plan to change the 10-acre footprint of the proposed campground complex from the General Forest (14a) to the Developed Recreation (12a) land management allocation which will allow for recreation site development and future maintenance at Huckleberry Flats. After considering the environmental effects described in the EA and specialist reports I have determined that the proposed action will not have significant effects on the quality of the human environment considering the context and intensity of impacts (40 CFR 1508.27). Thus an Environmental Impact Statement will not be prepared.
45-Day Objection Period
This project is subject to pre-decisional administrative review (also known as “objection”) pursuant to Forest Service regulations 36 CFR 218 Subpart B (for the recreation-related details of the project) and 36 CFR 219 Subpart B (for the Forest Plan amendment part of the project). The 45-day objection period begins the day following publication of the notice of objection in the Eugene Register-Guard the newspaper of record. 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 comments during the designated opportunity for public participation (during scoping or the 30-day comment period) may object (36 CFR 218.5 and CFR 219.53). 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. Please be specific on whether you are objecting on the recreation-related details of the proposed action (under 36 CFR 218) or the Forest Plan amendment part of the proposed action (under 36 CFR 219). Minimum requirements for objections can be found in 36 CFR 218.8 (d) and 36 CFR 219.54 (c).
Objections to this project can be submitted electronically by mail or by fax. Electronic submissions will be accepted only through the Forest Service online comment system available at: https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public//CommentInput?Project=55164. Mailed objections will be accepted at: Forest Supervisor Willamette NF ATTN: Objections 3106 Pierce Parkway Suite D Springfield OR 97477. Faxed objections will be accepted at: U.S. Forest Service Springfield Office ATTN: Objections at (541) 225-6222. Hand delivery is not currently an option due to the Springfield Interagency Office being closed to the public to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus.
It is the responsibility of the objector to confirm receipt of their objections.
If you have questions about the objection process for this project please contact Elsa Gustavson (Forest Environmental Coordinator) at elspeth.gustavson@usda.gov.
Sincerely
/s/Dave Warnack
Dave Warnack
Forest Supervisor
Kevin Rowell
