The USDA Forest Service has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact(DN/FONSI) for the St. Vrain Forest Health Project. The project area includes all National Forest System lands south of the Boulder Ranger District northern administrative boundary (Johnny Park Road), east of the Indian Peaks Wilderness boundary, north of Gold Hill Road and west of the Boulder Ranger District’s eastern administrative boundary. The project area also extends northeast onto Canyon Lakes Ranger District to include the ridgelines surrounding the community of Pinewood Springs east of Highway 36. The proposed action would authorize multiple management actions (i.e., treatments) to be applied to areas with a need to meet purposes of enhancing forest resilience, restoring fire dynamics, securing water resources, supporting fire adapted communities, conserving biodiversity, maintaining aesthetic values, and safeguarding recreational opportunities and infrastructure. The Responsible Officials for this decision are Kevin McLaughlin, Boulder District Ranger and Dennis Kuhnel, Canyon Lakes District Ranger. The final EA and draft DN/FONSI for the St. Vrain Forest Health Project are available online at the Roosevelt National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61372. Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Ashley Philbeck, South Zone Environmental Coordinator, by e-mail at ashley.philbeck@usda.gov. The St. Vrain Forest Health Project is an activity implementing a land management plan. This activity is subject to pre-decisional objection 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 Boulder Daily Camera and the Fort Collins Coloradoan, the newspapers of record. The publication date in the newspapers 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. Objections will only be accepted from those who have 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 objection must contain the minimum content requirements specified in 36 CFR 218.8(d) and incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in 36 CFR 218.8(b). Objections 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. All objections are available for public inspection during and after the objection process. Electronic objections are preferred and must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=61372. 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. Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests, Supervisors Office, Attn: Reviewing Officer, 2150 Centre Avenue, Building E, Fort Collins, CO 80526. To arrange for hand-delivery of written comments or facsimile submission, please contact Ashley Philbeck at ashley.philbeck@usda.gov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Kevin McLaughlin
