Opportunity to
Comment on the Spruce Mountain Grouse
Management Area
Project
The Monongahela National Forest, Cheat-Potomac Ranger District, is preparing an environmental assessment (EA) for the Spruce Mountain Grouse Management Area Project. The project area is located west and southwest of Spruce Knob Lake within Randolph and Pendleton Counties, West Virginia. The proposed project consists of various activities implementing a land and resource management plan and is subject to predecisional administrative review also referred to as the objection process (36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B).
Proposed activities include: conduct approximately 354 acres of regeneration harvests and associated selective herbicide treatments, 10 acres of thinning, 68 acres of cut-back borders, 625 acres of non-commercial timber stand improvement; construct 2.1 miles of temporary road; add 0.4 miles of an existing road corridor to the Forest transportation system as a National Forest System Road (FSR); maintain 3.6 miles of FSR 916; create, expand, and maintain wildlife openings; develop wetland areas for wildlife benefit; complete watershed and riparian restoration improvement activities including, large woody material placement; and ancillary activities.
The proposed project is available online at: www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=51058. The EA and supporting documentation is also available for review at the Potomac Ranger District office. Additional information regarding this project can be obtained from Troy Waskey, 2499 North Fork Highway, Petersburg, WV 26847, 304-257-4488, and [email protected].
How to Comment and Timeframe
The opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the Grant County Press. Only those who submit timely and specific written comments (§218.2) regarding the proposed project or activity during a public comment period established by the responsible official are eligible to file an objection (§218.24(b)(6)). 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. It is the responsibility of all individuals and organizations to ensure that their comments are received in a timely manner.
Written comments must be submitted to: Troy Waskey, District Ranger, 2499 North Fork Highway, Petersburg, WV 26847, fax 304-257-2482. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rft), or Word (.doc or .docx) to [email protected]. For objection eligibility, each individual or representative from each entity submitting timely and specific comments regarding the proposed project must either sign the comments or verify identity upon request.
Please state “Spruce Mountain Grouse Management Area Project” in the subject line when providing electronic comments, or on the envelope when replying by mail.
September 27, 2018 1c