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April 12, 2004
Herbicide Diversity Project
Submitted today (we'll post the info when we get it):
Supervisor Elliott,On your website there is a notice titled "FORESTRY SCIENCES LAB AND ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST TO START HERBICIDE DIVERSITY STUDY REMOVAL PROJECT."
We would like to provide public comment on this proposal. However, we have received no notice of this proposed project as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.
Furthermore, while the notice states that "Maps to locate the forested stands are available on the Allegheny NF website at /r9/allegheny under Projects and Planning". However, there is no information at that location of your website.
Please ensure that the proper legal notice is provided for this project with the appropriate detailed information required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Furthermore, once a proper notice is provided please ensure a minimum of 30 days from that date for public comment.
Thank you,
Jim Kleissler
Update: Response from the Forest Service...
The scoping/30-day comment letter was mailed on Thursday, April 8, 2004 and the legal notice should have appeared in The Derrick and The Bradford Era on April 8, 2004 or April 9, 2004. And it should be posted to the website within the next day or so.
Perhaps the Forest Service will now stop doing press releases for things that haven't happened yet. Hint: usually it helps to do something before you advertise doing it. (Thanks to Forest Service for the detailed response.)
Text of Forest Service Announcement:
FORESTRY SCIENCES LAB AND ALLEGHENY NATIONAL FOREST TO START HERBICIDE DIVERSITY STUDY REMOVAL PROJECT
Ridgway, Pa. -- The Forestry Sciences Laboratory of the Northeastern Research Station and the Allegheny National Forest (NF) are beginning analysis for proposed activities for the Herbicide Diversity Study Removal Project. This research study proposes to remove the overstory trees on ten 16 to 20 acre Allegheny hardwood stands, and then document changes in wildlife and plant communities following the removal of the overstory trees. These same ten stands are part of an existing herbicide diversity study started ten years ago to study the responses over time of wildlife and plants in managed forests. This second step in the long term research will provide additional valuable information on the regeneration of forested stands of trees.
The stands proposed for the study are located on the Bradford and Marienville Ranger Districts in Elk, Forest and McKean Counties. Maps to locate the forested stands are available on the Allegheny NF website at /r9/allegheny under Projects and Planning, or hard copy maps can be obtained from Kevin Treese at USDA-Forest Service, Marienville Ranger District, Ridgway Office, 1537 Montmorenci Road, Ridgway, Pa., 15853, or by calling 814/776-6172, X124.
The public is invited to provide comments on this proposal as part of public involvement under the National Environmental Policy Act. District Rangers Leon Blashock and John Schultz have determined that the most effective time for the comment period is now, and this news release constitutes notice of opportunity to comment on the Herbicide Diversity Study Removal Project (36 CFR 215.5). There are no plans for a second comment period. The opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in The Derrick (Oil City, Pa.) and The Bradford Era (Bradford, Pa.) newspapers. We anticipate this date to be April 5th. It is the responsibility of the commentor to verify date of publication of the legal notice.
Please provide comments specific to the proposed action, or have a direct relationship to the proposed action, and include your supporting reasons for the Responsible Official to consider. Individuals interested in providing written comments on items of interest or concern should mail them to: Attn: Leon F. Blashock, Herbicide Diversity Study Removal Project, Marienville Ranger District, Ridgway Office, 1537 Montmorenci Road, Ridgway, Pa., 15853, or at 814/776-6172, X134. FAXed comments must be sent to: Leon F. Blashock at 814/772-7387. E-mail comments must be sent to comments-eastern-allegheny-marienville@fs.fed.us Subject: Herbicide Diversity Study Removal Project. Oral and hand delivered comments must be received between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Please contact Kevin Treese at 814/776-6172, X124, if you have questions.
Posted by jkleissler at April 12, 2004 04:34 PM
Comments
The Forest Service is always for biodiversity as long as sun tolerant species are benefitted.
Their only interest in biodiversity is in maximizing their cash crop. Which is illegal as I understand it.
The USFS continues to treat the Beech tree as an invasive species! The industrial extractors are the invasive species of concern in the Allegheny.
Rj
Posted by: RJ at April 13, 2004 06:41 PM
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