North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project #58218

Commenting on This Project

LEGAL NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT USDA FOREST SERVICE MT. BAKER-SNOQUALMIE NATIONAL FOREST, MT. BAKER RANGER DISTRICT NORTH FORK NOOKSACK VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROJECT
 
The USDA Forest Service has prepared a revised final environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact  (DN/FONSI) for the North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project. On September 24, 2021, the Forest issued a final environmental assessment, draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the Project and began a 45-day objection period. At the start of that objection resolution period in mid-November 2021, changed conditions in the project area required modification of the proposed action. The Forest Supervisor decided to withdraw the draft decision and end the objection resolution period to give the interdisciplinary team the chance to evaluate the changed conditions.
 
The Forest has prepared a revised final EA and draft decision notice and FONSI, with new information given the changed conditions. The proposed action is located on the Mt. Baker Ranger District, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, approximately two miles east of the town of Glacier, Washington, along Highway 542 in Whatcom County, Washington. The proposed action would use commercial and non-commercial treatments to improve wildlife habitat, enhance huckleberry areas, improve forest stand condition, and contribute to the economy via timber harvest, among other objectives.
 
The Forest is proposing to amend the 1990 Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Land and Resource Management Plan for lands encompassed by the North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project. The amendment would be site-specific and applicable only to this project. This would be a one-time exemption and would not replace the existing standards. The amendment would allow for noncommercial thinning within Management Area 19, Mountain Hemlock Zone to enhance habitat for huckleberries for this project only. The 1990 Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Land and Resource Management Plan called for the development of a study to determine what portion of mountain hemlock plant associations are tentatively suitable forest land. The study plan was never completed, and Mountain Hemlock Zone therefore remains unsuitable for timber production. There is still a need for non-commercial silvicultural activities within the Mountain Hemlock Zone to enhance habitat for huckleberries.
 
The responsible official for this decision is Jody Weil, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest Supervisor. The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management project are available upon request at the Mt. Baker Ranger District office, 810 State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, Washington 98284. This document is also available on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest website: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/ReadingRoom?project=58218
 
Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Louis Neff at 360-410-5578, or by emailing FS-comments-acificnorthwestmtbaker-snoqualmie-mtbaker@usda.gov. Please include "North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project Objection" in the subject line.
 
The North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management project is an activity implementing a land management plan. This activity is subject to pre-decisional objections under subparts A and B of 36 CFR Part 218. Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days following publication of this notice in the Everett Herald, of Everett, Washington, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Objectors should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the objector's responsibility to ensure timely filing of a
written objection with the reviewing officer pursuant to 36 CFR 218.9. All objections are available for public inspection during and after the objection process.
 
Objections will only be accepted from those who have either previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunities for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR 218.5(a). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project unless the issue is based on new information arising after the designated comment
opportunities.
 
The following address must be used for objections sent by postal mail: Objection Reviewing Officer, Region 6 Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region, USDA Forest Service, Attn: 1570/1950 Objections, PO Box 3623, Portland, OR 97208-3623 (or by FedEx and UPS to 1220 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR 97204). Objections filed by mail must be postmarked no later than the last day of the 45-day period.
 
Objections sent by private carrier or hand delivery must contact Michelle Lombardo at michelle.lombardo@usda.gov or call (503) 668-1796 to make an appointment to deliver your objection. Electronic objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=58218, with "North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project Objection" in the subject line. Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format that is readable with optical character recognition software (e.g., Word, PDF, Rich Text) and be searchable. An automated response should confirm your electronic objection has been received.
 
If unable to submit the electronic form available above, comments may also be submitted by email to: objections-pnw-regional-office@usda.gov, with "North Fork Nooksack Vegetation Management Project Objection" in the subject line. An objection must include the following (36 CFR 218.8(d)): 1) The objector's name and address, with a telephone
number, if available; 2) a signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature for Email may be filed with the objection); 3) when multiple names are listed on an objection, identification of the lead objector
(verification of the identity of the lead objector shall be provided upon request); 4) the name of the proposed project, the name and title of the Responsible Official, and the name(s) of the National Forest(s) and/or Ranger District(s) on
which the proposed project will be implemented; and 5)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 6) a statement that
demonstrates connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project or activity and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunity for formal
comment.
 
With certain exceptions (36 CFR 218.8(b)), all documents referenced in the objection must be included with the objection. Responses that do not adhere to these requirements make review of an objection difficult and are
conditions under which the reviewing officer may set aside an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218.10.
 
Published: April 25, 2022. EDH953226

 

Questions?

If you have a question about this project, please send it to:

Ted Neff

Mt Baker Ranger District
810 State Route 20 , Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98294
FS-comments-pacificnorthwest-mtbaker-snoqualmie-mtbaker@usda.gov