Notification of Opportunity to Object on the Midnight Restoration Project USDA Forest Service Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest Methow Valley Ranger District Okanogan County, Washington The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA), draft decision notice (DN), and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the Midnight Restoration Project. The project's responsible official, Forest Supervisor Tara Umphries, has chosen the proposed action as the selected alternative for the draft DN and FONSI. The selected alternative includes overstory (commercial) and understory thinning, prescribed fire, wildlife habitat enhancement, and road management changes. Treatments are proposed in Forest Plan Old Growth, Late Successional Reserves, Riparian Reserves, and the Sawtooth Inventoried Roadless Area. An analysis of the proposal was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 36 CFR 220. Project-specific forest plan amendments are proposed under the 2012 Planning Rule. Six amendments to standards and guidelines in the Okanogan National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan are proposed. Two amendments apply to 1,173acres Forest Plan Old Growth, amending Forest Standards and Guidelines (S&Gs) 5-1 and 19-8. One amendment applies to 12.1 miles of designated snowmobile routes, amending Forest S&G 17-8. Two amendments apply to 1,869 acresof Deer Winter Range Cover, amending Forest Plan S&G MA14-6A and MA26-6A. One applies to 0.15 acres of Mountain Goat Habitat, amending two Forest S&Gs MA10-8C and MA10-20A. Two amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan are proposed. One amendment applies of 2,283 acres for harvesting stands over 80 years old, amending NWFP S&G C-12. The second amendment applies to 385 acres for Fuelwood Gathering within LSRs, amending NWFP S&G C-16. The Final EA, FONSI, Draft DN, and other related documents are available on the project website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63933. The 53,009-acre Midnight Restoration Project is located in north central Washington State in the Methow River drainage, approximately 10 miles west/northwest of Twisp, Washington, Okanogan County. The watersheds in this project include portions of the Little Bridge Creek, Middle Twisp River, Upper Twisp River, Headwater Twisp River, South Creek, War Creek, Eagle Creek, Rader Creek, and Wolf Creek sub-watersheds The project is implemented under the 1989 Okanogan National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended, and the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. The project is subject to pre-decisional administrative review pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B. Only individuals or organizations who submitted specific written or oral comments (36 CFR 218.2) during the designated opportunity for public participation (scoping or 30-day comment periods) may object (36 CFR 218.5). Additional eligibilities to object are established in 36 CFR 218.5(b) through (f). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project and attributed to the objector, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the opportunities for comment. The burden is on the objector to demonstrate compliance with the requirement for objection issues 36 CFR 218.8(c). The objection must meet the content requirements of 36 CFR 218.8(d), and include the following information: 1) the objector's name and address, with a telephone number or email address, 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 as defined in 36 CFR 218.2 (verification of the identity of the lead objector shall be provided upon request); 4) the name of the project being objected to, the name and title of the responsible official, and the name of the national forest and ranger district on which the project will be implemented ; 5) a description of those aspects of the project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the project and, 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; and supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider; and 6) a statement that demonstrates the connection between prior specific written comments on the particular 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. Objections will be available to the public and will become part of the project record. Names and contact information submitted with objections will become part of the public record and may be released under the Freedom of Information Act. Objections can be submitted in several forms, but must be received by the Regional Forester, the Objection Deciding Officer, within 45 days from the date of publication of notice of objection in The Wenatchee World. The publication date in The Wenatchee World is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Attachments to the Objection received after the 45-day objection period will not be considered. Those wishing to object to this Draft Decision Notice should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. Attachments to the objection received after the 45-day objection period will not be considered. If the comment period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, objections will be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day. It is the responsibility of objectors to ensure that their objection is received in a timely manner (36 CFR 218.9). Objections may be submitted in the following ways: 1) Electronic Submission: Electronic objections will be accepted atobjections-pnw-regional-office@usda.gov; or 2) Hand or postal delivery to: Pacific Northwest Regional Office, 1220 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, Oregon 97204. Office is open 8:00am and 4:30pm, Monday through Friday except legal holidays. Objections delivered by mail must be received before the close of the fifth business day after the objection filing period. For more information about the project, you may contact Dan Leininger, Project Lead, at daniel.leininger@usda.gov.
Dan Leininger
