Legal Notice
Request for
Comments
Pinetucky Longleaf Woodland
Restoration Project
Bankhead Ranger District
Winston County,
Alabama
The U.S. Forest Service is proposing the Pinetucky Longleaf Woodland Restoration Project. The project area for this proposed action includes compartments 148, 149, 150, 151, 159, 160, 161,164, 165, 166 and 170 of the Bankhead National Forest. The project is in Winston County south of Highway 278. This proposal includes about 4,400 acres. This proposed action includes: removing off-site loblolly pine from 723 acres to restore longleaf pine community and create early successional habitat by clearcutting with reserves, site preparation and planting longleaf pine; intermediate thinning of about 2,490 acres; midstory removal using mechanical equipment, hand tools and/or herbicide treatment in thinned stands; first thinning of about 760 acres; wildlife opening maintenance and construction on approximately 22 acres; controlling access and erosion on eight Forest Service roads and one user-created trail; construction of two miles of new fire lines; prescribed burning on approximately 247 acres not previously proposed; creation of 25 acres of early successional habitat; timber stand improvements on 334 acres; and pre-commercial thinning of 30 acres. The proposed project is an activity implementing a land management plan and is therefore subject to the pre-decisional objection process regulations described at 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B.
The draft Environmental Assessment and other documents are available on-line at:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61533.
The opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of this legal notice in the Northwest Alabamian newspaper. Only those who submit timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity during a public comment period established by the responsible official are eligible to file an objection according to regulations at 36 CFR §218.24(b)(6). Specific written comments, as defined by 36 CFR §218.2, should be within the scope of the proposed action, have a direct relationship to the proposed action, and must include supporting reasons for the Responsible Official to consider. Individuals and organizations are responsible for ensuring their comments are received in a timely manner. For objection eligibility, each individual or representative from each entity submitting timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity must either sign the comments or verify identity upon request as required by 36 CFR §218.24(b)(8).
Specific signed written comments must be submitted to Andy Scott, District Ranger, P.O Box 278, 1070 Hwy 33 North Double Springs, AL 35603, telephone (205) 489-5111, fax (205) 489-8552. The office business hours for those submitting hand‐delivered comments are: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an email message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf), or Word (.doc, .docx) to comments-southern-alabama@usda.gov.
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