USDA Forest Service – Ashley National Forest (NF); Opportunity to Object to the Ashley NF Forest-wide Prescribed Fire Restoration Project; Responsible Official: Susan Eickhoff, Forest Supervisor
An environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, and draft decision notice are now available for the Ashley NF Forest-wide Prescribed Fire Restoration Project. Project details can be found online at
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/ashley/?project=61581. For additional information, contact Amy Torres, Environmental Coordinator, U.S. Forest Service Enterprise Program at amy.torres@usda.gov or Lars Christensen, Collaboration Specialist, Ashley National Forest at lars.christensen@usda.gov.
The purpose of this project is to analyze the impacts of a forest-wide prescribed fire program on a variety of vegetative communities to improve ecosystem health and function and increase resilience to wildfire in an environment that is seeing warmer temperatures, drier conditions, and longer fire seasons. These changing climate conditions affect the extent and severity of fires, and can impede fire-dependent ecosystem recovery, potentially leading to a loss of key ecosystem components.
The Ashley NF used input provided by individuals; local, state, and federal agencies; and tribes to develop the initial proposed action that was then modified following scoping and a 30-day comment period to develop the final environmental assessment, finding of no significant impact, and draft decision notice.
Project design features will protect sensitive resources from undesired effects and ensure consistency with the land management plan, law, regulation, and policy. Design features are part of the proposed action and are described in appendix A to the environmental assessment. Ashley NF personnel will monitor the effects of prescribed fire activities to ensure compliance with design features
.
This project is subject to the pre-decisional objection process outlined in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 218, Subparts A and B. The responsible official will not make a final decision until after the requirements of 36 CFR 218.12, Timing of Project Decision, have been met.
Eligibility to File Objections. Objections can be accepted only from those who have previously submitted specific, written comments regarding the proposed project during a designated opportunity for public comment (§218.5[a]). Additional eligibilities are established in §218.5(b) through (f). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted, timely, specific, written comments regarding the proposed project unless based on new information arising after designated opportunities to comment. A connection to previous comments must be demonstrated in the objection.
Individual members of organizations must have submitted their own comments to meet the requirements of eligibility as an individual; objections received on behalf of an organization are considered those of the organization only (§218.5[c]). If an objection is submitted on behalf of multiple individuals or organizations, each listed individual or organization must meet the eligibility requirement of having previously submitted comments on the project (§218.5[d]). Names and addresses of objectors will become part of the public record.
Contents of an Objection. Incorporation of documents by reference in the objection is permitted only as provided for at §218.8(b). Minimum content requirements of an objection, as identified in §218.8(d), include:
• Objector’s name and address with a telephone number if available;
• Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature may be filed with an electronic objection);
• Identification of the lead objector when multiple names are listed, along with verification upon request;
• Name of project, name and title of responsible official, national forest/ranger district where the
project is located;
• Sufficient narrative description of those aspects of the project objected to; specific issues related
to the project; how environmental law, regulation, or policy would be violated; and suggested
remedies which would resolve the objection; and
• A statement demonstrating the connection between prior specific, written comments on the
project and the content of the objection, unless the objection issue arose after the designated
opportunities to comment.
Written objections, including any attachments, must be filed with the reviewing officer (the
Intermountain Regional Forester) within 45 days (§218.26) of the publication in the Vernal Express of the legal notice of opportunity to object. We anticipate the notice will publish 9/27/2023; however, the actual publication date is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Submit objections via the
Project). Electronic objections must be submitted in a common format such as .pdf, .docx, .doc, or .txt
and file names must be less than 85 characters long (including spaces). Mailed objections should be sent
to: Objection Reviewing Officer, Ashley NF Forest-wide Prescribed Fire Restoration Project, USFS
Intermountain Regional Office, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401. Hand delivery of written objections
may be made during normal working hours to the same address. It is the responsibility of objectors to
ensure their objection is received in a timely manner (§218.9).
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The following is a recommended text format to help you submit objections in accordance with regulatory requirements at 36 CFR 218.8(d). You can copy and paste this format into the comment box or incorporate it into your own document for attachment.
When multiple names are listed on an objection, identification of the lead objector as defined in § 218.2. Verification of the identity of the lead objector must be provided upon request or the reviewing officer will designate a lead objector as provided in § 218.5(d).
Lead Objector: ______________________
Objections are limited to the scope of this particular project.
A. Description of those aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the proposed project:
B. How the objector believes the environmental analysis or draft decision specifically violates law, regulation, or policy:
C. Suggested remedies that would resolve the objection:
D. Supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider:
E. Unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunity(-ies) for comment, provide a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project and the content of this objection:
