Ottawa Quarterly The Ottawa National Forest is involved in many programs and activities. As in the past, this issue of the Ottawa Quarterly is a April to June 2011 listing of proposed resource management projects for which we have a specific pro- posal and are in the process of analyzing as directed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Forest Service decision-making proc- Furthermore, if you have received ess provides opportunities for interested previous editions of this list you will parties to give their ideas and opinions Trumpeter Swans notice that some projects do not ap- about resource management. This input is pear anymore. That is because we important in helping us identify resource have finished the analysis, made the needs, which will shape the alternatives decision and the appeal period (if ap- evaluated and lead to the formation of a plicable) has ended; or, in other decision. There are several points in the cases we have removed projects planning process during which you can be from the list because we were unable the most helpful, but exact steps and tim- to pursue them for various reasons ing may vary depending on the type and such as a conflict with other forest complexity of the project. The section titled priorities. If these projects are re- “The Project Planning Process and How initiated in the future then they will You Can Be Involved” describes these again be added to the Quarterly Re- steps and identifies what you can do to be port. Please call the person listed as involved. It is important for you to under- the “contact” for a project anytime stand this process so that you may receive you have a question. the environmental documents in which you are interested. If you have questions about this document or NEPA projects on the Included in this list are those projects for Ottawa in general, please feel free to which a Decision Memo, Decision Notice, contact the Ottawa’s Environmental or Record of Decision is anticipated. How- Coordinators: Marlanea French- ever, this list is not all-inclusive. Some pro- Pombier at: (906-358-4031 or jects may come up after publication and [email protected]); or require our immediate attention. As a re- LeAnn Colburn at: (906-852-3500 or sult, we may complete the decision docu- [email protected]). ment before the next edition. Table of Contents Additional Sources for EnvironmentalTable Documents of Contents 2 Definition of Terms 2 Additional Sources for Environmental Documents 2 The Project Planning Process and How You Can Be Involved 3 Definition of Terms 2 Ottawa National Forest Office Addresses 4 MapThe Projectof Projects Planning on the Process Ottawa andNational How ForestYou Can Be Involved 53 OTTAWA NATIONAL FOREST NATIONAL OTTAWA OttawaNationwide National Projects Forest Office Addresses and Notices 46 MultipleForestwide Unit Projects Projects 75 BerglandMultiple Unit Ranger Projects District Projects 116 BessemerIron River RangerRanger DistrictDistrict ProjectsProjects 126 IronKenton River Ranger Ranger District District Projects Projects 147 KentonOntonagon Ranger Ranger District District Projects Projects 178 Watersmeet Ranger District Projects 9 Ontonagon Ranger District Projects 21 Watersmeet Ranger District Projects 22 Ottawa QuarterlyOttawa Additional Sources for Environmental Documents Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements for site-specific projects are J. Robert Van Pelt Library available on our internet page. They can be ac- Michigan Tech University cessed at: http://fs.usda.gov/goto/ottawa/projects Houghton, MI (906) 487-2506 Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements for site-specific projects are Olson Library also available at three college libraries in the Northern Michigan University (NMU) western Upper Peninsula. Marquette, MI (906) 227-1580 Gogebic Community College NMU has also listed our documents on their regional Ironwood, MI online library system called CRISTAL. Contact their (906) 932-4231 Ext. 344 public service personnel on its use and capabilities. Definition of Terms Appeal - is the written document filed with an Ap- Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) - A peal Deciding Officer by one who objects to a de- document prepared by a federal agency presenting cision. the reasons why an action will not have a significant effect on the human environment and for which an Appeal Period - The 45 calendar-day period fol- Environmental Impact Statement will not be pre- lowing publication of a decision document during pared. which an appeal may be filed. Management Area (MA) – described in the Forest Decision Memo (DM) - A written record of the Plan — an area delineated on a map showing the responsible official's decision to implement an location where a management prescription applies. action that has been categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact state- Notice of Intent (NOI) - A notice that an Environ- ment or an environmental assessment. mental Impact Statement will be prepared and con- sidered. Decision Notice (DN) - A written record of the responsible official's decision based on an Envi- Proposed Action - A site-specific proposal made by ronmental Assessment and a finding of no signifi- the Forest Service to authorize, recommend, or im- cant impact. plement an action on National Forest System lands. Environmental Assessment (EA) - A document Record of Decision (ROD) - A written record of the that presents issues and concerns important to a responsible official's decision based on an Environ- project; alternate means of accomplishing a pro- mental Impact Statement. ject, and analysis of potential environmental ef- fects of each of those alternatives. This informa- Scoping – A process to help determine any poten- tion is used to help determine whether to prepare tial significant issues that may be related to the pro- an environmental impact statement or a finding of posed action and subsequently addressed in the no significant impact. environmental documents. Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) - A document that presents issues and concerns im- portant to a project; alternate means of accom- plishing a project; and analysis of potential signifi- cant environmental effects of each of those alter- natives. Page 2 OTTAWA QUARTERLY The Project Planning Process and How You Can Be Involved ANALYSIS STEP PARTICIPATION OPTIONS Identify need for project Propose a project to the Forest Service. Develop site-specific detailed project proposal Develop project proposal. Scoping – solicit public comment on the Provide the site-specific comments on proposal – site-specific proposal. suggest issues, alternatives or mitigation measures. Develop alternatives based on the issues raised In comments on the proposal, suggest variations to during scoping. One alternative is to stay with the the original proposal – or other potential alternatives. status quo (No Action). Initiate public comment process (30-day comment Read EA/EIS. Provide comments on the environ- period for projects documented in an EA and a mini-mental analysis. See 36 CFR 215.6(a)(3) for a de- mum 45-day comment period for projects docu- scription of what information to provide. mented in an EIS). See 36 CFR 215.5. Notice of decision will be published in the newspa- Review decision. per of record. See 36 CFR 215.7. Appeal period will be open for 45 days following le- Exercise option to appeal. File Notice of Appeal (see gal notice of decision in the newspaper unless no section 36 CFR 215.14 for Appeal Content require- one expressed interest (or only positive comments ments) NOTE: Only those who submitted comments were received) and there is no change from the pro- in writing or orally during the 30-day EA comment posed action. (36 CFR 215.7, 215.11, 215.12) period or 45-day EIS comment period may appeal. (36 CFR 215.13) Implement the project. (Subject to timing require- Contribute labor, equipment or funding ments of 36 CFR 215.9) Monitor and evaluate project results. Provide feedback on the project. Electronic Mail Addresses for Ottawa National Forest Projects [email protected] — to comment on Forestwide projects [email protected] — to comment on Bessemer RD projects [email protected] — to comment on Iron River RD projects [email protected] — to comment on Kenton RD projects [email protected] — to comment on Ontonagon RD projects [email protected] — to comment on Watersmeet RD projects [email protected] — to appeal projects in the Eastern Region Page 3 Ottawa National Forest Offices - Contact Information Supervisor's Office and Bessemer Ranger District E6248 US Highway 2, Ironwood, MI 49938 Phone: 906-932-1330 Supervisor’s Office: 906-932-0122 FAX Bessemer Ranger District: 906-932-0196 FAX Kenton Ranger District Ontonagon Ranger District Watersmeet and Iron River 4810 E. Highway M28 1209 Rockland Road Ranger Districts Kenton, MI 49967 Ontonagon, MI 49953 E23979 US Highway 2 (906) 852-3500 - Phone (906) 884-2085 - Phone Watersmeet, MI 49969 (906) 852-3618 - TTY (906) 884-2411 - TTY (906) 358-4551 - Phone (906) 852-3618 - FAX (906) 884-4830 - FAX (906) 358-4006 - TTY (906) 358-4000 - FAX Page 4 OTTAWA QUARTERLY 8 LAKE SUPERIOR 5 MI-64 15 43 11 42 US-45 12 3 16 13 9 41 35 MI-28 1 33 FH-16 31 MI-28 36 US-45 40 39 46 37 20 32 38 18 17 34 6 7 19 47 51 14 28 4 10 2 FH-16 23 44 29 Ottawa Quarterly 45 25 48 US-2 April-June 2011 50 24 26 49 25 Project Locations 30 22 21 27 5 Miles c:1gis/all_projects/Ottawa_quarterly/working.mxd GRS Schedule of Proposed Action (SOPA) 04/01/2011 to 06/30/2011 Ottawa National Forest This report contains the best available information at the time of publication.