United States Department of Agriculture Travel Management on the Tonto National Forest Final Environmental Impact Statement Volume II–Response to Comments Tonto Publ. No MB-R3-12-04 Forest Service National Forest June 2016 1 In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 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Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: [email protected]. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. Printed on recycled paper. Travel Management on the Tonto National Forest Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Content Analysis of Public Comment on the Draft EIS .................................................................. 2 Considering Different Types of Comments under NEPA ........................................................... 2 Comments Specific to Routes ...................................................................................................... 2 Comments and Responses................................................................................................................ 4 Transportation Facilities .............................................................................................................. 4 Recreation Resources ................................................................................................................ 11 Wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Inventoried Roadless Areas, and Special Management . 44 Visual Resources/Scenery ......................................................................................................... 59 Socioeconomics ......................................................................................................................... 61 Cultural Resources ..................................................................................................................... 62 Game and Nongame Species ..................................................................................................... 63 Law Enforcement ...................................................................................................................... 71 Soils and Water Resources ........................................................................................................ 87 Air Quality ................................................................................................................................. 93 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................... 102 Specific Routes ........................................................................................................................ 104 Maps and GIS Data ................................................................................................................. 139 Implementation ........................................................................................................................ 144 Invasive Species ...................................................................................................................... 147 Power Company and Utilities .................................................................................................. 148 Public Involvement .................................................................................................................. 157 General Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 162 Purpose and Need .................................................................................................................... 170 Specific Alternatives................................................................................................................ 173 General Comments and Responses .......................................................................................... 187 i Volume II–Response to Comments Introduction This appendix includes a description of the formal public comment analysis and response to comment process and the comments received during the draft EIS comment period. Comments and our responses are organized by sections to mirror the order of the resource topics in the final EIS. This appendix also includes copies of the city, county, state, Federal, and Tribal agency letters received. As a Federal agency, we are required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to invite comments, After preparing a draft environmental impact statement and before preparing a final environmental impact statement the agency shall: (1) Obtain the comments of any Federal agency which has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved or which is authorized to develop and enforce environmental standards. (2) Request the comments of: (i) Appropriate State and local agencies which are authorized to develop and enforce environmental standards; (ii) Indian tribes, when the effects may be on a reservation; and (iii) Any agency which has requested that it receive statements on actions of the kind proposed… (3) Request comments from the applicant, if any. (4) Request comments from the public, affirmatively soliciting comments from those persons or organizations who may be interested or affected. (40 CFR 1503.1(a)) On July 2, 2014, the notice of availability for the draft EIS was published in the Federal Register, marking the beginning of the 45-calendar-day comment period for this project. In response to several requests, Neil Bosworth, Supervisor of the Tonto National Forest, decided to extend the 45-day comment period by an additional 30 calendar days. On August 15, 2014, a notice to extend the comment period on the draft EIS was published in the Federal Register, extending the comment period to September 17, 2014. Approximately 2,500 comments were received during the comment period: 85 were original letters, while the rest were form letters generated by stakeholder groups. NEPA also provides direction on the specificity of comments, indicating that, “comments on an environmental impact statement or on a proposed action shall be as specific as possible and may address either the adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives discussed or both” (40 CFR 1503.3(a)). In addition, regulations specific to the Forest Service (36 CFR 218) require that to participate in a Project-level Predecisional Administrative Review Process, specific written comments must be submitted. Written comments are those submitted to the responsible official or designee during a designated opportunity for public participation (§ 218.5(a)) provided for a proposed project. Written comments can include submission of transcriptions or other notes from oral statements or presentation. For the purposes of this rule, specific written comments should be within the scope 1 Travel Management on the Tonto National Forest of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed action, and must include supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider. (§ 218.2) (emphasis added) Finally, NEPA provides direction to Federal agencies related to responding to comments. Specifically, An agency preparing a final environmental impact statement shall assess and consider comments both individually and collectively, and shall respond by one or more of the means listed below, stating its response in the final statement. Possible responses are to: (1) Modify alternatives including the proposed action. (2) Develop and evaluate alternatives not previously given serious consideration by the agency. (3) Supplement, improve, or modify its analyses. (4) Make factual corrections. (5) Explain why the comments do not warrant further agency response, citing the sources, authorities, or reasons which support the agency's position