NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT
Swauk Mining Plans of Operation Analysis Project
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
Cle Elum Ranger District
The Swauk Mining Plans of Operation Analysis
Project Draft Decision Notice and Final Environmental
Assessment have been completed. This notice starts
the pre-decisional administrative review (objection)
period. This assessment and draft decision includes the
analysis of ten submitted mining Plans of Operations
on the Cle Elum Ranger District on the Okanogan-
Wenatchee National Forest. The need for this is
established by the Forest Service’s responsibility under
the 1872 Mining Law, as Amended, and the Forest Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, to respond to
requests of submitted Plans of Operation by claimants
on established claims.
The project area is within the Swauk drainage in and
around the area of the old Liberty Townsite and includes
the action areas on ten claims totaling approximately 37
acres.
Copies of the draft Decision Notice and Final
Environmental Assessment may be viewed at: https://
request a hard copy write, call, or visit the Cle Elum
Ranger Station, 803 West 2nd Street, Cle Elum, WA
98922, (509) 852-1042.
This project is subject to pre-decisional administrative
review pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B.
The 45-day objection period begins the day following
publication of this notice.
Only individuals or organizations who submitted
specific written or oral comments (36 CFR 218.2) during
the designated opportunities for public participation
(scoping or 30-day comment periods) may object (36
CFR 218.5), unless the objection is based on new
information that arose after the designated opportunity
to comment (36 CFR 218.7(c)(2)(ii). Issues raised in
objection must be based on previously submitted 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).
Minimum requirements of an objection are described in
36 CFR 218.8(d). An objection must include a description
of the proposed action addressed by the objection,
including specific issues related to the proposed
action; how the objector believes the environmental
analysis or draft decision specifically violates law,
regulation, or policy, if applicable; suggested remedies
that would resolve the objection; supporting reasons
for the reviewing officer to consider; and a statement
demonstrating the connection between prior specific
written comments on the proposed action and the
content of the objection, unless the objection concerns
an issue that arose after the designated opportunities
for comment. Incorporation of documents by reference
is permitted only as provided for at 36 CFR 218.8(b).
Objections can be submitted in several forms, but must
be received by the Forest Supervisor, the Objection
Deciding Officer, within 45 days from the date of
publication of notice of objection in the Ellensburg Daily
Record. The publication date in the Ellensburg Daily
Record 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. It is the responsibility of all
individuals and organizations to ensure their objections
are received in a timely manner as described in 36 CFR
218.9. For electronically mailed objections, the sender
should normally receive an automated electronic
acknowledgement from the agency as confirmation of
receipt. If the sender does not receive an automated
electronic acknowledgement of the objection from the
agency as confirmation, it is the senders’ responsibility
to ensure timely receipt by other means.
Objections may be submitted in the following ways:
1) Electronic Submission: Electronic objections
will be accepted through the Forest Service online
comment system, web address provided above; 2)
Hand Delivered to: Okanogan-Wenatchee National
Forest, Forest Supervisors Office, 215 Melody Lane,
Wenatchee, Washington 98801, between 8:00am and
4:30pm, Monday through Friday, except legal holidays;
3) Fax: Objections may also be faxed to Forest
Supervisor, Attn: Objections, at 509-664-9280; or 4)
Mailed to: Forest Supervisor, Objection Reviewing
Officer, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Attn:
Appeals and Objection, 215 Melody Lane, Wenatchee,
Washington 98801. Objections delivered by mail must
be received before the close of the fifth business day
after the objection filing period.
Attachment to objections must be submitted only in one
of the following three formats: Microsoft Word, rich text
format (rtf) or Adobe Portable Document format (pdf).
Emails submitted to email addresses other than the
one listed above or in other formats than those listed or
containing viruses will be rejected. Objections received
in response to this notice, including names, addresses,
and any other information provided with the objection,
will be considered a part of the public record and will be
subject to the Freedom of Information Act and released
if requested.
Joe Rausch
Cle Elum District Ranger
803 W. 2nd Street , Cle Elum, WA, 98922
