Legal Notice of Opportunity to Object
USDA Forest Service, Santa Fe National Forest
Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project
James Duran, Acting-Forest Supervisor of the Santa Fe National Forest, has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), finding of no significant impact (FONSI), and draft decision notice (DN) for the Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project and have reinitiated a 45-day comment period for the final EA.
In July 2022, the SFNF withdrew the draft decision notice and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project (SFMLRP) during suppression of the Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire. The pause in the environmental analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) gave the SFNF the opportunity to re-engage with partners and communities on the urgent need to make the forested landscapes around Santa Fe more resilient to the threats of climate change, drought and wildfire with vegetation treatments aimed to restore the landscape to natural conditions.
The Santa Fe Mountains Landscape Resiliency Project (SFMLRP) is a vegetation management project spanning approximately 38,680 acres of the 50,566-acre planning area proposed by the U.S. Forest Service, Espanola and Pecos-Las Vegas Ranger Districts. The purpose of the SFMLRP is to improve the ecosystem resilience of a priority landscape to future disturbances by restoring forest structure and composition and reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Restoration activities will occur in multiple ecological response units (ERUs), including mixed conifer frequent fire forest, ponderosa pine forest, pinyon-juniper woodlands and grasslands, and riparian areas. Restoration activities will focus on vegetation thinning and prescribed fire treatments to improve forest resiliency by reducing stand density, stand continuity, and stand homogeneity (sameness of forest structure and species composition) and increase heterogeneity (diverse forest structure and species composition) at a landscape scale, mid-scale, and fine scale.
The SFMLRP is a project not authorized under HFRA and is subject to the objection process pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B. Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comment in accordance with 218.5(a). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project, unless based on new information arising after the designated comment opportunities. Objections, including attachments, must be filed via mail, fax, or email to: Regional Forester, 333 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 87102; Fax: 505-842-3173; objections-southwestern-regional-office@usda.gov.
The EA, FONSI, and draft DN are available on-line at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=55088. These documents are also available for review at Espanola and Pecos District offices. Additional information can be obtained from Sandra Jacquez, 18537 US 84/285, Suite B, Espanola NM 87532, 505-753-7331 and/or Sandra.imler-jacquez@usda.gov.
Electronically filed objections may be submitted by email in word (.doc), portable document format (.pdf), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), and hypertext markup language (.html). Objections must be submitted within 45 calendar days, or by Jan. 23, 2023, following the publication of this notice in the Albuquerque Journal. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Those wishing to object should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The regulations prohibit extending the time to file an objection. At a minimum, an objection must include the following (36 CFR 218.8(d)): 1. The objector's name and address, with a telephone number, 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 (verification of the identity of the lead objector shall be provided upon request); 4. The name of the proposed project, the name and title of the Responsible Official, and the name(s) of the National Forest(s) and/or Ranger District(s) on which the project will be implemented; 5. A description of those aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the proposed project 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; supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider; and 6. A statement that demonstrates connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project or activity and the content of the objection. Incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in 218.8(b). It is the objector's responsibility to ensure timely filing of a written objection with the reviewing officer pursuant to 218.9. All objections are available for public inspection during and after the objection process. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.
