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All,As previous commenters or otherwise interested parties, we are notifying you that the Responsible Official, District Ranger Dean Millett has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment for the Queets Vegetation Management Project. The primary goal of the project is to accelerate the development of late-successional habitat on approximately 5,005 acres using commercial, variable density thinning. The attached letter provides more detailed information on the project. The draft EA is available for your review on-line at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=41044 . Public comment is now being requested for 30 days. How to Comment and Timeframe: Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, oral, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted for 30 calendar days following publication of a notice in The Daily World, Aberdeen, Washington. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period for this proposal. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The anticipated date of publication of the legal notice is June 5, 2014. Regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period. On March 27, 2013, a final rule revising 36 CFR Part 218 was published in the Federal Register and became effective on that date. The new rule replaces the previous appeal rules defined in 36 CFR 215, and expands the use of the pre-decisional objection process used for projects authorized under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. The new rule provides the public an opportunity to comment and express concerns on projects before decisions are made, rather than after. The Forest Service believes this aligns with our collaborative approach to forest management and increases the likelihood of resolving those concerns, resulting in better, more informed decisions. The new rule provides the public an opportunity to seek higher level review of unresolved concerns before the project decision has been signed, rather than having to appeal a signed decision. Individuals and entities who have submitted specific written comments at this stage will be eligible to object. Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted written comments specific to the proposed project or activity unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for comment. Comments received during this public review of the EA will be considered, and a revised (if necessary) EA and draft Decision Notice will be released for a 45 day review and objection period. For more information on 36 CFR Part 218, see the Federal Register, Volume 78, No. 59, March 27, 2013. Written comments must be submitted to the project lead, Kim Crider, at 1835 Black Lake Blvd SW, Olympia, WA 98512, or (360) 956-2376. If you have any questions regarding the details of this proposal, please contact the project lead. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments can also be provided to project lead listed above, only during normal business hours via telephone or in person. Those submitting electronic copies must put the project name in the subject line, and must either submit comments as part of the e-mail message or as an attachment only in one of the following three formats: Microsoft Word, rich text format (rtf) or Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf), and must do so only to the following e-mail address: comments-pacificnorthwest-olympic-pacific@fs.fed.us. In cases where no identifiable name is attached to a comment, a verification of identity will be required for objection eligibility. If using an electronic message, a scanned signature is one way to provide verification. E-mails submitted to e-mail addresses other than the one listed above, in other formats than those listed, or containing viruses, will be rejected. It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit them by the close of the comment period. It is the responsibility of persons providing comments by electronic means to ensure that their comments have been received. Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to object must meet the information requirements of 36 CFR 218. Thank you for your interest, Kim CriderEnvironmental CoordinatorUS Forest ServiceOlympic National Forest1835 Black Lake Blvd SW, Suite AOlympia, WA 98512360-956-2376kcrider@fs.fed.us
