The Prairie City Ranger District of the Malheur National Forest is conducting an analysis within the Prairie City and Blue Mountain Ranger Districts, about 20 miles southeast of Prairie City, Oregon, adjacent to the eastern-most portion of the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. The Upper Bear Lake project is approximately 54,300 acres in size, and located in the Upper Bear Lake, Lake Creek, and Big Creek sub-watersheds of the Malheur River Watershed.
The analysis includes vegetation, fuel, and road management activities. The proposed project would improve forest resiliency and reduce the risk of uncharacteristic disturbances. Proposed road activities would provide a road system that is safe, affordable, has minimal ecological impacts, and meets the immediate and projected long-term public and resource management needs. Overall, the project would provide social, economic, and environmental benefits from forest resources; and create jobs and opportunities for local communities. An Environmental Assessment should form the basis for a decision.
The Preliminary EA and supporting documentation are available on the Malheur National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/malheur/?project=65008. Documents are also available for review at 327 SW Front Street, Prairie City, Oregon 97869. Additional information regarding this project or activity can be obtained from: Fred Hoeft, Frederick.Hoeft@usda.gov or 541-820-3807.
The opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the East Oregonian. Only those who submit timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity during a public comment period established by the responsible official are eligible to file an objection 36 CFR 218. For issues to be raised in objections, they must be based on previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity and attributed to the objector. The publication date of the legal notice in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to submit written comments on a proposed project or activity. The time period for the opportunity to comment on a proposed project or activity to be documented with an environmental assessment shall not be extended. It is the responsibility of all individuals and organizations to ensure that their comments are received in a timely manner.
Please submit your comments to the District Ranger Chase Bloom online through the Forest Service online comment system at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=65008. Electronic comments must be submitted as portable document format (.pdf), plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc, .docx) formats. You can also mail comments to Chase Bloom, District Ranger, Prairie City Ranger District, P.O. Box 337, 327 SW Front Street, Prairie City Oregon 97869.
