Ranger District United States Sequoia Lake Isabella Office Kernville Office Department of National P.O. Box 3810 P.O. Box 9 Forest Lake Isabella, CA 93240 Kernville, CA 93238 Agriculture (760) 379-5646 (760) 376-3781

File Code : 1950/2350

Date : February 14, 2013

Dear Interested Party: The , Kern River Ranger District, is initiating public comment, pursuant to 36 CFR 215.6, on the proposed action as described in the Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Restoration Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA). You are receiving this notice, along with a copy of the preliminary EA because you have requested a copy, you provided comments during the project scoping, or because it is believed you may have an active interest in this project. Additional project information is also available for review by accessing the Forest internet website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/fs-usda-pop.php/?project=35862 . The Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Restoration Project, as proposed, implements the closure and restoration of non-system routes within four recreation sites, relocates and restores campsites located within a recreation site (Evans Flat), and reroutes portions of two OHV trails; one mile of the Woodward Peak Trail (Trail #32E53) and two miles of the Kern Canyon Trail (Trail #31E75). Routes targeted for restoration in this proposal were considered, but not designated in the Sequoia National Forest Motorized Travel Management Project (2009). That decision did not preclude unauthorized roads and trails not designated in the decision from consideration for either removal from the landscape and/or restoration to the natural condition. Three of the four recreation sites (Black Gulch North, Black Gulch South and China Garden) and one of the OHV trails (Kern Canyon Trail #31E75) are located in the Lower Kern Canyon. The fourth recreation site and the second OHV trail (Woodward Peak Trail #32E53) are located within the Greenhorn Mountains near Evans Flat Campground. All four (4) recreation sites are within the Sequoia National Forest, Kern River Ranger District, in Kern County, . This project will (1) address the need to manage developed recreation sites and the road system to assure resource protection; (2) provide safe access and accommodate management needs; (3) establish partnerships where trail groups help manage, protect, and patrol those areas where they can be an influence; (4) allow changes to the existing trail system to eliminate resource and/or facility damage; (5) prevent user conflicts; (6) place and/or construct some hard barricades, such as boulders and/or fences to limit vehicular access to closed routes; and (7) improve signage within these recreation sites. The interdisciplinary team analyzed in detail two alternatives: no action (alternative 1) and the proposed action alternative (alternative 2). I am asking you to provide any substantive comments you might have regarding the Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains OHV Restoration Project Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA). Substantive comments are those that are within the scope of the project and the decision to be made; are specific to the project activities and the project area; and have a

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direct relationship to the project. If you have any knowledge or concerns about cultural resources, please include them in your comments. The intent of this comment period is to provide those interested in or affected by this project an opportunity to make their concerns known prior to a decision being made. Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted 30 calendar days following publication of a notice in the Porterville Recorder and the Bakersfield Californian . The publication date in the newspaper of record (Porterville Recorder) 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. Regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the ability to provide the respondents with subsequent environmental documents. Please submit substantive comments to the following address at the Kern River Ranger District, Kernville Office: Penelope Shibley, District Planner Kern River Ranger District P.O. Box 9, 105 Whitney Road Kernville, CA 93238

Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf) or Word (.doc) to comments-pacificsouthwest-sequoia- [email protected] with Subject: Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains OHV Restoration EA . In cases where no identifiable name is attached to a comment, a verification of identity will be required for appeal eligibility. If using an electronic message, a scanned signature is one way to provide verification. It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit them by the close of the comment period. Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to appeal must meet the information requirements of 36 CFR 215.6. Please include hard copies or internet links to any references to which you refer. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments are: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). A fax can be sent to (760) 376-3795 with “Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains OHV Restoration Project” clearly noted in the fax. The decision for this project is intended to be made by spring 2013. The decision will be mailed to those who have submitted comments and to those who have requested to be added to the Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains OHV Restoration Project mailing list. If you have any questions, please direct them to Penelope Shibley at (760) 376-3781, extension 650, or e-mail: [email protected] .

We appreicate your interest in the management of the Kern River Ranger District and the Lower Kern Canyon and Greenhorn Mountains Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Restoration Project. Sincerely, /s/ Jeff Ulrich JEFF ULRICH Acting District Ranger

Enclosure