The proposed action is expected to produce about 26.8 million board feet of timber from approximately 1,655 acres of National Forest System lands in the Staney and Red Bay areas within the Thorne Bay RD. Other activities include road construction, reconstruction, maintenance and decommissioning.
Notice of Opportunity to Object to the Twin Mountain II Timber Sale Project
The Tongass National Forest has prepared an environmental impact statement and draft Record of Decision for the Twin Mountain II Timber Sale Project. The project area is located within the Thorne Bay Ranger District of the Tongass National Forest on Prince of Wales Island, approximately 75 to 100 miles west of Ketchikan, Alaska.
The Responsible Official intends to select and implement Alternative 2 from the Twin Mountain II Timber Sale Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The alternative is designed to manage the timber resource for sawtimber and other wood products by offering up to 26.4 MMBF of old growth timber harvest over 1,738 acres of National Forest System lands using even-aged and uneven-aged management. Implementation is expected to occur over an approximate 15-year time period.
Tongass National Forest, Acting Forest Supervisor Janelle Crocker is the Responsible Official for this project.
The EIS and draft ROD and additional information regarding this project are available for public review online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r10/tongass/projects/301827. These documents are also available at the Thorne Bay Ranger District. Project information can be obtained from Chris Dowling, District Ranger, (907) 828-3304, christopher.dowling@usda.gov.
How to Object and Timeframes
The opportunity to object ends 45 days following the date of publication of this legal notice in the Ketchikan Daily News. If the objection filing period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or federal holiday, objections will be accepted until the end of the next federal working day. The publication date of the legal notice in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Those wishing to object 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.
Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity during a public comment period, unless based on new information arising after designated comment periods. Interested individuals or entities who have not previously commented may gain limited eligibility to object based on new information, but only for issues that arise based on new information where that information is truly new and was not available during the designated public comment opportunity.
At a minimum, the objection must include the following as identified in 36 CRF 218.8(d): Name; address; and if possible, a telephone number of the objector; signature or other verification of authorship (a scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection); identification of the lead objector when multiple names are listed; the name of the project being objected to; the name and title of the Responsible Official; and the name of the National Forest(s) and/or Ranger District(s) on which the project is located; a statement of the issues and/or parts of the project to which the objection applies; if applicable, a statement explaining how the environmental analysis or draft decision specifically violates law, regulation, or policy; suggested remedies; and supporting reasons; and a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunities for comment. Incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in 36 CFR 218.8(b).
Written objections, including attachments, must be filed online at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=301827, or via postal mail, fax, hand-delivery, express delivery, or messenger service (Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays) to the Reviewing Officer: Jacqueline Buchanan, Acting Regional Forester, Alaska Region, PO Box 21628, 709 W. 9th Street, Juneau, AK 99802-1628, (907) 586-7840 (fax).
Written objections, including any attachments, must be filed (regular mail, fax, email, hand-delivery, or express delivery) with the Reviewing Officer within 45 days following the publication date of this legal notice in the newspaper of record. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered objections are 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronically filed objections may be submitted online in word (.doc), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), and hypertext markup language (.html).
Objections received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who object, will be considered part of the public record on these proposed actions and will be available for public inspection during and after the objection process.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.
The form below can be used to submit your comments to the responsible project official.
National Forests have the option to post comments for public viewing on this web site via a public reading room. Active reading rooms allow the public to read or download your letter, including your contact information. If this project has an active reading room, a link labeled “Public Comment Reading Room” will appear on the main project page. The agency may withhold letters containing proprietary information, sensitive cultural or habitat locations, profanity, etc. All letters, including those not posted, will be considered and included as part of the project record.
Disclaimer: All contact information is optional; however, anonymous comments will not provide standing to object.
