[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60920-60921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19109]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests; Revision 
of the Land Management Plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and 
Gunnison National Forests

AGENCY: Forest Service, Agriculture (USDA).

ACTION: Notice of opportunity to object to the revised Land Management 
Plan and the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation 
concern for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, is 
revising the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' 
Land Management Plan (Plan). The Forest Service has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the revised Plan and draft 
Record of Decision (ROD). This notice is to inform the public that the 
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG National 
Forests) are initiating a 60-day period where individuals or entities 
with specific concerns about the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison 
National Forests' revised Plan and the associated FEIS may file 
objections for Forest Service review prior to the approval of the 
revised Plan. This is also an opportunity to object to the Regional 
Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the Grand Mesa, 
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests.

DATES: The publication date of the legal notice in the Grand Mesa, 
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' newspaper of record, Grand 
Junction Sentinel, initiates the 60-day objection filing period and is 
the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection (36 
CFR 219.52(c)(5)). An electronic copy of the legal notice with the 
publication date will be posted at https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan.

ADDRESSES: The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' 
revised Plan, FEIS, draft ROD, the Regional Forester's list of species 
of conservation concern, and other supporting information will be 
available for review at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan 
or at the following office: Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison 
National Forests, 2250 Main Street, Delta, CO 81416, phone: 970-874-
6600.
    Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer by 
one of the following methods:
     Electronically to the Objection Reviewing Officer: 
Electronic objections are preferred and may be submitted through the 
project web page at https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/gmug/forestplan/objections; Electronic submissions (including all attachments) must be 
submitted in a format (Word, PDF, or Rich Text) that is readable and 
searchable with optical character recognition software. An automated 
response will confirm your electronic objection has been received.
     Via Regular Mail, Private Carrier, or Hand Delivery to the 
Following Address: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region, Attn: 
Objection Reviewing Officer, C/O Director of Strategic Planning, 2nd 
floor, 1617 Cole Blvd., Bldg. 17, Lakewood, CO 80401. For hand 
delivery, office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 
excluding Federal holidays.
     By Fax: If fax is the only method available for objection, 
please contact Administrative Review Specialist Scarlett Vallaire at 
[email protected] or 801-989-6605.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Forest Plan Revision Team Leader, 
Samantha Staley, at [email protected] or 970-852-9812. 
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf and hard of 
hearing (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 800-877-8339, 
24 hours a day, every day of the year, including holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The decision to approve the revised Plan and 
the Regional Forester's list of species of conservation concern for the 
Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests will be subject 
to the objection process identified in 36 CFR part 219 subpart B 
(219.50 to 219.62). Per 36 CFR 219.53, only individuals and entities 
who have submitted substantive formal comments related to a plan 
revision during the opportunities for public comment that are 
attributable to the objector may file an objection unless the objection 
concerns an issue that arose after the opportunities for formal 
comment.

How To File an Objection

    Objections must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer at 
the address shown in the ADDRESSES section of this notice. An objection 
must include the following (36 CFR 219.54(c)):
    (1) The objector's name and address along with a telephone number 
or email address if available. In cases where no identifiable name is 
attached to an objection, the Forest Service will attempt to verify the 
identity of the objector to confirm objection eligibility;
    (2) Signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a 
scanned signature for electronic mail may be filed with the objection);
    (3) Identification of the lead objector when multiple names are 
listed on an objection. The Forest Service will communicate to all 
parties to an objection through the lead objector. Verification of the 
identity of the lead objector must also be provided if requested;
    (4) The name of the plan revision being objected to, and the name 
and title of the responsible official;
    (5) A statement of the issues and/or parts of the plan revision to 
which the objection applies;
    (6) A concise statement explaining the objection and suggesting how 
the draft plan decision may be improved. If the objector believes that 
the plan revision is inconsistent with law, regulation, or policy, an 
explanation should be included;
    (7) A statement that demonstrates the link between the objector's 
prior substantive formal comments and the content of the objection, 
unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the 
opportunities for formal comment; and
    (8) All documents referenced in the objection (a bibliography is 
not sufficient), except the following need not be provided:
    a. All or any part of a Federal law or regulation,
    b. Forest Service Directive System documents and land management 
plans or other published Forest Service documents,
    c. Documents referenced by the Forest Service in the planning 
documentation related to the proposal subject to objection, and
    d. Formal comments previously provided to the Forest Service by the 
objector during the proposed plan, plan amendment, or plan revision 
comment period.
    Additionally, objections should be identified as pertaining to the 
``GMUG National Forests Plan'' or the ``Regional Forester's Species of 
Conservation Concern List'' for the GMUG National Forests, as these are 
subject to separate objection processes. Objectors filing objections on 
both topics should submit these as separate objection letters.
    It is the responsibility of the objector to ensure that the 
Objection Reviewing Officer receives the objection in a timely manner. 
The regulations generally prohibit extending the length of the

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objection filing period (36 CFR 219.56(d)). However, when the time 
period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or a Federal holiday, the time is 
extended to the end of the next Federal working day (11:59 p.m. for 
objections filed by electronic means such as email or facsimile 
machine) (36 CFR 219.56).
    Responsible Official: The responsible official who will approve the 
ROD for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests' 
revised Plan is Forest Supervisor Chad Stewart, Grand Mesa, 
Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests Headquarters, 2250 South 
Main Street, Delta, CO 81416, and phone: 970-874-6674. The responsible 
official for the list of species of conservation concern is Regional 
Forester Frank Beum, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region, 1617 
Cole Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80401.
    The Regional Forester is the reviewing officer for the revised Plan 
because the Forest Supervisor is the responsible official (36 CFR 
219.56(e)). Objection review of the Regional Forester's list of species 
of conservation concern will be subject to a separate objection process 
from the objection review of the Plan. The Chief of the Forest Service 
is the reviewing officer for the list of species of conservation 
concern because the Regional Forester is the responsible official (36 
CFR 219.56(e)(2)). This authority may be delegated to an individual 
Deputy Chief or Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System, 
consistent with delegations of authority provided in the Forest Service 
Manual at sections 1235.4 and 1235.5.

    Dated: August 30, 2023.
Troy Heithecker,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2023-19109 Filed 9-5-23; 8:45 am]
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