Dear Interested Party:
The Glenwood and Pedlar Ranger District of the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is proposing a watershed improvement and vegetation management project in the Jennings Creek watershed in Botetourt County, Virginia. An environmental assessment (EA) will be prepared as part of the planning process for this project.
We are seeking your input that would contribute to a decision regarding this project. The information you provide will help in the development of the proposal and alternatives that will address issues identified for this action. A thorough description of the proposal, alternatives, and analysis of the effects of each alternative, will be documented in the EA. You can view project information and documents online as they become available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/gwj/?project=66431
Project Location
The Jennings Creek Watershed Project is located on National Forest System lands within Botetourt County is part of the Jefferson National Forest (see enclosed Proposed Action Maps). It is approximately 3 miles East of Arcadia, Virginia. The project area encompasses the entirety of the Jennings Creek watershed and is approximately 24,957 acres in size (including non-National Forest System lands).
Purpose and Need For The Proposed Action
The Jennings Creek Watershed Project is designed to implement the goals and objectives described in the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan Jefferson National Forest (hereinafter referred to as the Forest Plan). This project will be consistent with the management direction of the Forest Plan. The Forest Plan recognizes the Jennings Creek watershed as a priority watershed with outstanding aquatic biodiversity. Additionally, a multi-Forest assessment effort across 765 watersheds in the Southern Appalachian Subregion has also recognized this area as a high priority watershed. The watershed contains the North Creek Special Area (Management Prescription Area 4K1) which is centered around North Creek, the only Tier III Outstanding Natural Resource Water in the state of Virginia. The watershed serves as habitat for the Endangered James spinymussel and contains the majority of the known range for the Peaks of Otter Salamander. The project area is an outdoor recreation destination and contains a high density of Forest Service roads, trails including the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Glenwood Horse Trail, North Creek campground and other infrastructure. The National Park Service managed, Blue Ridge Parkway, serves as the eastern boundary to the watershed, drawing even more visitors to the area for recreational purposes. Approximately 80 percent of the watershed is in National Forest System ownership.
This project proposes action to move the Jennings Creek priority watershed toward the desired future conditions outlined in the Forest Plan. The purpose of this project is to increase the resilience and proper function of ecological systems within the watershed while providing for forest structural diversity, species diversity, soil and water conservation, and sustainable recreation. The environmental analysis that will be completed for this project will guide development of a Watershed Restoration Action Plan (WRAP) for this watershed. The WRAP will describe the watershed condition and actions to restore or maintain the watershed.
The Glenwood-Pedlar District Ranger is the responsible official for this project and will decide whether to implement project activities as described in the proposed action, provide alternatives to the proposed action, or to refrain from implementation of the proposal and continue with current management. The responsible official will also determine if there may be significant impacts that would require the preparation of an environmental impact statement. Implementation of the Jennings Creek Watershed Project could immediately follow the decision by the District Ranger after the close of the objection period.
Scoping Input Needed
Written comments concerning this proposal will be accepted during a 30-day scoping period. The comment period starts on July 3rd, 2024, and will end on August 1st, 2024. Comments must be submitted within 30 calendar days following the publication of the legal notice in the Roanoke Times. The first day is counted the day after the legal notice publishes. Only those who submit timely and specific comments during one of the comment periods will be eligible to object. Comments may be submitted through the website via the web form:
https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=66431
This web form can also be accessed from the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/gwj/?project=66431
On the right side, you can select "Comment/Object on Project."
Written comments can also be submitted hardcopy to:
USDA Forest Service
ATTN: Lauren Stull, District Ranger
27 Ranger Lane
Natural Bridge Station, VA 24579
Please share any specific concerns and/or alternatives that you feel need to be considered within the context of this proposed action. Make your comments as concise as you can and address the proposed action specifically.
This project implements the Jefferson National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and is not authorized under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). The project is subject to the objections process at 36 CFR 218, subparts A and B (http://www.ecfr.gov). Only specific written comments received during this or any other designated opportunity for public comment provide standing for objections. Also, to meet standing for objection, comments must meet the requirements of 36 CFR 218.8. For more information on the objection process and requirements, you may contact Nicholas Redifer by email at nicholas.redifer@usda.gov.
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. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered.
If you have any questions concerning this project or would like to know more information about it, please contact Nick Redifer, Project Leader, at Nicholas.Redifer@usda.gov.
Thank you for your interest in the management of your National Forest.
