Dear Interested Party;
The Eastern Divide Ranger District (EDRD) of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (GWJNF) is seeking comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment for the Bland County Waterline Extension and Replacement Project. The project proposes to construct an interconnecting waterline to provide water service to residents of Bland County, Virginia. This construction would occur across 12,664 linear feet of National Forest System lands within Bland County, Virginia. Information on the proposed action and associated analysis documents can be viewed online at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62011.
The analysis documents may also be viewed by appointment at the EDRD office at 110 Southpark Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24060. To comment on this Draft Environmental Assessment, written and electronic formats will be accepted. Comments must be submitted by 30 days from date of the legal notice published in The Roanoke Times. This notice is expected to be published on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
Only those who submit timely, specific, and relevant comments during an official comment period will be eligible to object. To file an objection, each individual or representative from each organization submitting comments must either sign the comments or verify identity upon request. Comments may be submitted through the website: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=62011 This web form can also be accessed from the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62011 On the right side, you can select "Comment/Object on Project."
Electronic comments may be submitted as Microsoft Word documents (.doc or .docx), portable document files (.pdf), or in rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), or hypertext markup language (.html). Comments may also be mailed to Beth Christensen, EDRD Ranger, 110 Southpark Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, or hand- delivered to the above address on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Please reference “Bland County Waterline” in the subject line.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and contact information of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record of this analysis, and will be included in the final project record. Pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27 (d), any person may request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record by showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such confidentiality.
If you have questions about this proposal please contact Amanda Marsh, Project Leader (540) 259-8742, or myself at the Eastern Divide Ranger District Office at (540) 552- 4641.
Thank you for your interest in the management of your National Forests.
Melissa Robinson
