Equal value land exchange of 94 acres of federal land for 120 acres of private land between the US Forest Service and Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp.
Legal Notice of Opportunity to Object:
The USDA Forest Service has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (DN/FONSI) for the Locke Park Land Exchange Project. The project area includes two parcels of land known as the Federal parcel and the non-Federal parcel. The Federal parcel is located approximately 3.5 miles west of the town of Hillside in Custer and Fremont Counties, Colorado. The non-Federal parcel is located at the north end of the Wet Mountains in Fremont County, Colorado. Both parcels are within the administrative boundary of the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) San Carlos Ranger District. The Responsible Official for this decision is Ryan Nehl, Forest and Grassland Supervisor.
The Responsible Official is planning to implement the Proposed Action, which proposes an equal-value land exchange with Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of the Rockies, Inc., also known as the Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp (the non-Federal Party). Under the proposed action, a 94.3-acre Federal parcel would be transferred to the non-Federal Party in exchange for a 120-acre parcel (non-Federal parcel). The Federal parcel is currently part of the National Forest System (NFS) and is managed by the PSICC. A conservation easement will be placed on the Federal parcel concurrent with the closing of the land exchange to ensure that the property’s conservation values are protected. The non-Federal parcel, an isolated private inholding that is accessed by a NFS road, would be transferred to the United States for management as NFS lands by the PSICC.
The Locke Park Land Exchange 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 Pueblo Chieftain, 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 eligible objections are available for public inspection.
Electronic objections are preferred and must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=306250,with “Locke Park Land Exchange 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.
Written objections may be submitted via regular mail to: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: Reviewing Officer, C/O Planning Director, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO, 80401.
Objections sent by private carrier or hand delivery must be addressed to: Objection Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: Reviewing Officer, C/O Planning Director, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO 80401. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm, excluding Federal holidays, for hand delivery.
Any person who wishes to fax an objection, contact Scarlett Vallaire, Administrative Review Coordinator via phone at 801-989-6605 or email at scarlett.vallaire@usda.gov.
The EA and draft DN/FONSI for the Locke Park Land Exchange Project are available upon request at the PSICC Supervisor’s Office, 2840 Kachina Drive, Pueblo, CO 81008. This document is also available on the PSICC website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/psicc/projects/306250. Additional information regarding this proposed action can be obtained from Amber Wyndham, National Environmental Policy Act Planner, at 719-553-1514 or by email at amber.wyndham@usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The form below can be used to submit your comments to the responsible project official.
National Forests have the option to post comments for public viewing on this web site via a public reading room. Active reading rooms allow the public to read or download your letter, including your contact information. If this project has an active reading room, a link labeled “Public Comment Reading Room” will appear on the main project page. The agency may withhold letters containing proprietary information, sensitive cultural or habitat locations, profanity, etc. All letters, including those not posted, will be considered and included as part of the project record.
Disclaimer: All contact information is optional; however, anonymous comments will not provide standing to object.
