Comment Period Announced for June Lake Area Vegetation Management Projects

Comment Period Announced for June Lake Area Vegetation Management Projects
Date: Dec 15, 2010 Bishop, CA
Contact(s): Nancy Upham

The Inyo National Forest, Mono Lake Ranger District is soliciting comments for two vegetation management projects in the June Lake area. The first is a June Mountain Ski Area Vegetation Management Plan. The second is the June Loop Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. The proposals for both projects include vegetation management activities such as tree thinning, tree pruning, shrub cutting or mowing, slash piling and burning, and prescribed burning.

The purpose of both projects is to manage vegetation so the potential for a high severity wildfire is reduced and wildfire defensible space is created around communities and recreation developments in the June Lake Loop, as well as around June Mountain Ski Area infrastructure. These projects will also address forest health concerns, especially in areas where current bark beetle infestations are causing tree mortality.

These projects would follow standards and guidelines in the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment (SNFPA, 2004), which sets forth a management strategy to reduce the risk of wildland fire to communities and across the landscape, while restoring ecosystem processes, protecting watersheds, and conserving old forest ecosystems and associated species. These projects will use authority of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) to conduct environmental review and analysis. An Environmental Assessment (EA) will be prepared for each project to analyze and disclose the environmental effects of the proposed projects. Prior to final decisions being rendered, an objection period will take place for 30 days.

How to Comment and Timeframe

If you have information you feel the Forest Service may not be aware of, or you feel you have issues (points of dispute, debate, or disagreement) regarding potential effects of these proposals, please mail these in writing. For the June Mountain Ski Area Vegetation Management Plan, contact Scott Kusumoto, by email, skusumoto@fs.fed.us or by phone, 760-924-5522. For the June Loop Fuels Reduction Project, contact Sue Farley by email, sfarley@fs.fed.us or by phone, 760-924-5535. You may also contact either Scott or Sue by mail at: Mammoth Ranger District, Inyo National Forest, P.O. Box 148, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546.

Comments may also be submitted by fax (760.924.5537) or by hand-delivery, during normal business hours (Monday – Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm). Electronic comments in acceptable formats [plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf), or Word (.doc)], may be submitted. Comments must be received by January 28, 2011. Only those individuals or organizations who submit specific written comments will have standing to file an objection as part of the predecisional review process under 36 CFR 218.