BAKER CITY, OR - The public comment period for the Blue Mountains Proposed Revised Forest Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement will come to an end on August 15th. Comments have been taken since March 14th and the period was extended for 60 days. From Wallowa-Whitman National Forest: “The Proposed Plan and Draft EIS are exactly that, draft. County, tribal, public, and other agency input on the draft is an important part of the process and critical to developing a Forest Plan for each Forest that meets the goals of managing each of these national forests, while also meeting the needs of the public and the communities where we all live ,” stated Kevin Martin, Umatilla Forest Supervisor. Public meetings were held during March and April of this year in 15 different communities with over 1,000 people in attendance. In addition, there was a webinar on June 25th, in which 30 members of the public elected to join. Discussions revolved around access, wilderness, backcountry, general forest, and general questions about the documents and process. “Many of you may still plan to comment and we would like to hear from you. Providing your comments to us is one of the ways to be involved in developing the management guidance for these national forests where you recreate and get your livelihood,” shared Teresa Raaf, Malheur Forest Supervisor. Following are the many avenues to submit your comments: § Electronically by going to this web link: fs.usda.gov/goto/BlueMountainForestPlanRevisionComments § Postal mail: Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision Team, P.O. Box 907, Baker City, OR, 97814 § Fax: 541-523-6392 § Phone for assistance or printed copies of the DEIS and Proposed Plan: 541-523-1246 or 541-523-1302. The documents can also be downloaded from the Blue Mountains Forest Plan Revision web site at: fs.usda.gov/goto/BlueMountainsForestPlanRevisionDocuments. There is a “How to Comment” document on the web site at this location: fs.usda.gov/goto/BlueMtnsHowToComment. Comments received during the official comment period, including names and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the project record and are available for public review. The Interactive Map is also on the web site at: fs.usda.gov/goto/BlueMtnsPlanRevisionMaps. The Interactive Map provides an opportunity for the public to view all of the alternatives electronically, and see how the management areas are allocated for each alternative. In addition, the map provides more detailed information and allows the user to select different data layers; such as roads, recreation areas, wilderness areas, etc. for each of the alternatives. Controls also allow the viewer to zoom in, measure distances, and print a specific portion of the Forest. Clicking on a specific location will open a popup window with information about that specific area.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 04:55:00 +0000
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