Cienega Creek FireScape #51926

Forest proposes mechanical and prescribed fire treatments on about 50,000 acres of Forest and adjacent Federal, state and private lands.

Opportunity to Object to the Cienega Creek FireScape Project Environmental Assessment (EA)

The Coronado National Forest, Nogales Ranger District, has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), draft Decision Notice (DN), and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Cienega Creek FireScape Project, on the east side of the Santa Rita Mountains, primarily within the Cienega Creek Watershed, with a portion of the project in the Sonoita Creek Watershed. The selected modified Proposed Action would improve forest health and wildlife habitat for a 90,147-acre project area. The purpose of this project is to:

• Reduce fuel accumulations and uncharacteristic vegetation composition and structure in the Santa Rita Ecosystem Management Area that contribute to the risk of large, high intensity wildfire and the associated negative effects.
• Restore and sustain ecological processes in fire-dependent ecosystems, to enhance the overall health and resiliency of desired native plant and tree species to improve habitat for wildlife and forage for range and wildlife.
• Facilitate fire management within the project area to provide for public and firefighter safety and ability to manage natural ignitions to achieve desired Land and Resource Management Plan objectives and create conditions that enable naturally occurring fires to return to their historic role.
• Provide protection to values at risk within the project area, including, but not limited to, wildland-urban interface (WUI) communities and Forest Service (FS) infrastructure.

The EA, draft DN and FONSI, and supporting documents are available online for public review at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=51926. Additional information regarding this project can be obtained from Christian Carter, District Wildlife Biologist, Nogales Ranger District, (520) 761-6009, christian.carter@usda.gov.

The proposed project is an activity implementing a land management plan and is subject to the pre-decisional objection process (36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B).

How to File an Objection and Timeframe

This decision is subject to administrative review (commonly called “objections”) pursuant to the project-level pre-decisional administrative review process outlined in regulations at 36 CFR Part 218. A written objection, including attachments, must be postmarked or received within 45 days after the date that notice of this draft decision is published in the Nogales International, the newspaper of record for Nogales District Ranger decisions.  The publication date of the legal notice in this newspaper is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection, and those wishing to object should not rely on dates or time frame 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 §218.9. The regulations prohibit extending the time to file an objection. All objections are available for public inspection during and after the objection process.

Forest Service regulations specify that objections will be accepted only from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comment.  Issues raised in objections must be based on issues raised in the previously submitted specific written comments unless the issues are based on new information arising after designated comment opportunities (§218.7(c)(2)(ii)). Incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in §218.8(b)(2).

Written objections, including attachments, must be filed with the Objections Reviewing Officer. Objections may be submitted by email to objections-southwestern-coronado@usda.gov. Objections may also be submitted by fax (520-388-8305) or mailed to: 

Kerwin S. Dewberry, Objections Reviewing Officer

USDA Forest Service, Coronado National Forest

300 West Congress Street

Tucson, AZ 85701

 

Objections filed electronically must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rft), or Word (.doc, .docx). Please state “Cienega Creek FireScape Project,” in the subject line when providing objections electronically, or on the envelope when submitting by mail.

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 (a scanned signature for email may be filed with the objection);
3. Identification of the lead objector, when multiple names are listed on an objection;
4. The name of the proposed project (Cienega Creek FireScape Project), the name and title of the Responsible Official (Jim Copeland, District Ranger), and the name(s) of the National Forest(s) (Coronado National Forest) and/or Ranger District(s) (Nogales Ranger District) on which the project is located;
5. A description of the issues and/or aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including 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, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunities for comment.

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.

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