Notice2023-19109
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests; Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests
Primary source
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Published
September 6, 2023
Issuing agencies
Agriculture DepartmentForest Service
Abstract
The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is revising the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' Land Management Plan (Plan). The Forest Service has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the revised Plan and draft Record of Decision (ROD). This notice is to inform the public that the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG National Forests) are initiating a 60-day period where individuals or entities with specific concerns about the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' revised Plan and the associated FEIS may file objections for Forest Service review prior to the approval of the revised Plan. This is also an opportunity to object to the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60920-60921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19109]
[[Page 60920]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests; Revision
of the Land Management Plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and
Gunnison National Forests
AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).
ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the revised Land Management
Plan and the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation
concern for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is
revising the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests'
Land Management Plan (Plan). The Forest Service has prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the revised Plan and draft
Record of Decision (ROD). This notice is to inform the public that the
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG National
Forests) are initiating a 60-day period where individuals or entities
with specific concerns about the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison
National Forests' revised Plan and the associated FEIS may file
objections for Forest Service review prior to the approval of the
revised Plan. This is also an opportunity to object to the Regional
Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the Grand Mesa,
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests.
DATES: The publication date of the legal notice in the Grand Mesa,
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' newspaper of record, Grand
Junction Sentinel, initiates the 60-day objection filing period and is
the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection (36
CFR 219.52(c)(5)). An electronic copy of the legal notice with the
publication date will be posted at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan">https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan</a>.
ADDRESSES: The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests'
revised Plan, FEIS, draft ROD, the Regional Forester's list of species
of conservation concern, and other supporting information will be
available for review at: <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan">https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan</a>
or at the following office: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison
National Forests, 2250 Main Street, Delta, CO 81416, phone: 970-874-
6600.
Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer by
one of the following methods:
<bullet> Electronically to the Objection Reviewing Officer:
Electronic objections are preferred and may be submitted through the
project web page at <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan/objections">https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan/objections</a>; Electronic submissions (including all attachments) must be
submitted in a format (Word, PDF, or Rich Text) that is readable and
searchable with optical character recognition software. An automated
response will confirm your electronic objection has been received.
<bullet> Via Regular Mail, Private Carrier, or Hand Delivery to the
Following Address: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Attn:
Objection Reviewing Officer, C/O Director of Strategic Planning, 2nd
floor, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO 80401. For hand
delivery, office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
excluding Federal holidays.
<bullet> By Fax: If fax is the only method available for objection,
please contact Administrative Review Specialist Scarlett Vallaire at
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#dcafbfbdaeb0b9a8a8f2aabdb0b0bdb5aeb99ca9afb8bdf2bbb3aa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="9ae9f9fbe8f6ffeeeeb4ecfbf6f6fbf3e8ffdaefe9fefbb4fdf5ec">[email protected]</span></a> or 801-989-6605.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Forest Plan Revision Team Leader,
Samantha Staley, at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#f380929e929d879b92dd99dd8087929f968ab386809792dd949c85"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="cfbcaea2aea1bba7aee1a5e1bcbbaea3aab68fbabcabaee1a8a0b9">[email protected]</span></a> or 970-852-9812.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf and hard of
hearing (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 800-877-8339,
24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision to approve the revised Plan and
the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests will be subject
to the objection process identified in 36 CFR part 219 subpart B
(219.50 to 219.62). Per 36 CFR 219.53, only individuals and entities
who have submitted substantive formal comments related to a plan
revision during the opportunities for public comment that are
attributable to the objector may file an objection unless the objection
concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for formal
comment.
How To File an Objection
Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer at
the address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. An objection
must include the following (36 CFR 219.54(c)):
(1) The objector's name and address along with a telephone number
or email address if available. In cases where no identifiable name is
attached to an objection, the Forest Service will attempt to verify the
identity of the objector to confirm objection eligibility;
(2) Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a
scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection);
(3) Identification of the lead objector when multiple names are
listed on an objection. The Forest Service will communicate to all
parties to an objection through the lead objector. Verification of the
identity of the lead objector must also be provided if requested;
(4) The name of the plan revision being objected to, and the name
and title of the responsible official;
(5) A statement of the issues and/or parts of the plan revision to
which the objection applies;
(6) A concise statement explaining the objection and suggesting how
the draft plan decision may be improved. If the objector believes that
the plan revision is inconsistent with law, regulation, or policy, an
explanation should be included;
(7) A statement that demonstrates the link between the objector's
prior substantive formal comments and the content of the objection,
unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the
opportunities for formal comment; and
(8) All documents referenced in the objection (a bibliography is
not sufficient), except the following need not be provided:
a. All or any part of a Federal law or regulation,
b. Forest Service Directive System documents and land management
plans or other published Forest Service documents,
c. Documents referenced by the Forest Service in the planning
documentation related to the proposal subject to objection, and
d. Formal comments previously provided to the Forest Service by the
objector during the proposed plan, plan amendment, or plan revision
comment period.
Additionally, objections should be identified as pertaining to the
``GMUG National Forests Plan'' or the ``Regional Forester's Species of
Conservation Concern List'' for the GMUG National Forests, as these are
subject to separate objection processes. Objectors filing objections on
both topics should submit these as separate objection letters.
It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the
Objection Reviewing Officer receives the objection in a timely manner.
The regulations generally prohibit extending the length of the
[[Page 60921]]
objection filing period (36 CFR 219.56(d)). However, when the time
period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday, the time is
extended to the end of the next Federal working day (11:59 p.m. for
objections filed by electronic means such as email or facsimile
machine) (36 CFR 219.56).
Responsible Official: The responsible official who will approve the
ROD for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests'
revised Plan is Forest Supervisor Chad Stewart, Grand Mesa,
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests Headquarters, 2250 South
Main Street, Delta, CO 81416, and phone: 970-874-6674. The responsible
official for the list of species of conservation concern is Regional
Forester Frank Beum, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, 1617
Cole Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80401.
The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the revised Plan
because the Forest Supervisor is the responsible official (36 CFR
219.56(e)). Objection review of the Regional Forester's list of species
of conservation concern will be subject to a separate objection process
from the objection review of the Plan. The Chief of the Forest Service
is the reviewing officer for the list of species of conservation
concern because the Regional Forester is the responsible official (36
CFR 219.56(e)(2)). This authority may be delegated to an individual
Deputy Chief or Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System,
consistent with delegations of authority provided in the Forest Service
Manual at sections 1235.4 and 1235.5.
Dated: August 30, 2023.
Troy Heithecker,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2023-19109 Filed 9-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.