The public is invited to comment on the Proposed Action, proposed project-specific Forest Plan amendment, and draft environmental assessment (EA) for a proposal to complete vegetation and fuels management activities across a 34,056 acre landscape on the Heber-Kamas Ranger District, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The project notice and comment period, proposed plan amendment notice and comment period, and comment period on the draft EA are being held concurrently. The responsible official is Forest Supervisor, David Whittekiend. The Proposed Action would use commercial timber operations, thinning and piling, and lop, scatter and burn to reduce potential wildfire effects, restore forest stand structural and species diversity, and improve ecosystem conditions within the watershed. There is a need for a project-specific Forest Plan amendment which would allow for vegetation and fuels treatments within the Management Prescription (MP) 2.6 Undeveloped Areas of the Upper Weber Watershed Restoration project. This standard does not apply to this project. The need for the project-specific Forest Plan amendment is that the Proposed Action, which includes vegetation and fuel treatments, is inconsistent with plan direction in this management prescription area. The scope would be for this project only and for the time to complete the project activities. The project documents for review and a link to provide online comments are available at the project website under: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=65745 The comment period provides an opportunity for the public to provide meaningful participation on the Proposed Action prior to a decision being made by the Responsible Official. This action is subject to the predecisional administrative review process outlined in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 218, Subparts A and B per 36 CFR 219.16. A final decision will not be made until after the requirements of 36 CFR 218.12, Timing of Project Decision, have been met. Based on the project purpose and need, the site-specific conditions for the project area, and the relevant forest-specific information and data, we hereby give notice that the substantive requirements that are likely to be directly related to the proposed amendment are as follows: 36 CFR 219.8 through 36 CFR 219.11. How to Comment This project, which implements the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Wasatch-Cache Planning Area is subject to the objection regulations found at 36 Code of Federal Regulations 218, subparts A and B.The 30-day comment period on the draft EA represents an opportunity for the public to provide specific written comments on the project and therefore have standing to object. Please include the following information with your comments: (1) name, address, and contact telephone number or email;(2) the name of the project on which you are commenting; and(3) specific written comments related to the project. In cases where no identifiable name is attached to a comment, a verification of identity will be required for objection eligibility. If using an electronic message, a scanned signature is one way to provide verification. Electronic comments are preferred and may be submitted through the online commenting tool at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=65745 and clicking "Comment/Object on Project". Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of this notice in the Salt Lake Tribune. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. Persons who wish to comment should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. Regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period. Persons providing comments are responsible for submitting them by the close of the comment period. Please submit your written comments to: Daniel Jauregui, District Ranger at 50 East Center Street, Kamas, Utah 84036. Business hours for submitting hand-delivered comments are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The business hours for submitting hand-delivered comments are 8 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. The publication date in the Salt Lake Tribune, the newspaper of record, is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection to this project. Those wishing to comment of the proposal should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. For further information about the project, including documents and maps, or about the objection process, contact Daniel Jauregui at comments-intermtn-uinta-heber@usda.gov.
Daniel Jauregui
