The USDA Forest Service has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact(DN/FONSI) for the Fishing Access Project. The proposed action is to be located on the Fort Pierre National Grasslands in Jones, Lyman, and Stanley Counties. The Responsible Official for this decision is District Ranger Dan Svingen.
The Responsible Official is planning to implement Alternative 2, which proposes the following activities: installing boat ramps and earthen fishing piers, rerouting existing roads for better access and resource protection, shortening two existing roads and opening one new one, clarifying existing road end points, installing livestock exclosure fences at some proposed boat ramp sites, installing off-site waterer and/or livestock watering gap at Lower Booth Dam, and installing new fences and changing existing ones.
The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the Fishing Access Project are available upon request at the Fort Pierre Ranger District office, 1020 Deadwood St., Fort Pierre, SD 57532. This document is also available at the Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62145. Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Kelly Waage, at 605-224-5517or by e-mail at kelly.waage@usda.gov
The Fishing Access 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 Capital Journal, 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.
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://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62145 by clicking on “Comment/Object on Project” on the right side of the page, with “Fishing Access 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.
Objections can be faxed to the Objection Reviewing Officer at 605-224-6517. The fax coversheet must include a subject line with “OBJECTION: Fishing Access Project” and should specify the number of pages being submitted.
Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, Fort Pierre National Grasslands, Attn: Reviewing Officer, 1020 N. Deadwood St., Fort Pierre, SD 57532.
Objections sent by private carrier or hand delivery must be addressed to: USDA Forest Service, Fort Pierre National Grasslands, Attn: Reviewing Officer, 1020 N. Deadwood St., Fort Pierre, SD 57532. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 5:00pm, excluding Federal holidays, for hand delivery.
Kelly Waage
