Single Publication

The attached letter is to inform you that a preliminary Proposed Action has been prepared for the Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project on the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest.

Additionally, you can find the Scoping Letter, the preliminary Proposed Action, and a Project Map on the Eldorado National Forest Website here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/eldorado/landmanagement/projects

Please provide your input or comment by 6/4/2023 to be included in the analysis.

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Dear Interested or Affected Party:

You are receiving this letter to inform you of a Forest Service Proposed Action to conduct hazardous fuel reduction activities on National Forest System (NFS) lands. The Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project (Project) would remove hazardous fuel and maintain desired fuel levels on approximately 1715 contiguous acres in the area of Wrights Lake on the Pacific Ranger District of the Eldorado National Forest. The project area is located in Eldorado County and includes the areas around Wrights Lake, Dark Lake, Beauty Lake and NFS lands to the west along Wrights Lake Road. The Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project would create conditions that would improve the forest’s resilience to fire, insects, disease, drought, and climate change as well as establish a more effective fire suppression environment with improved opportunities for control of future wildfire threatening the wildland urban intermix (WUI) near Wrights Lake. Treatment activities will retain old-growth and larger trees by retaining the dominant tree canopy throughout the project area. Hazardous fuel reduction would remove dense surface vegetation and ladder fuels such as brush and smaller understory trees in order to reduce the risk of high severity or catastrophic wildfire.

My preliminary assessment is that this project falls within the scope of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act Section 605 (16 USC 6591d). This law allows for hazardous fuels reduction activities that promote wildfire resilience and reduce the risk or extent of wildfires. Projects which fall under the jurisdiction of this law are excluded from documentation in an Environmental Assessment (EA) or Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). My evaluation of anticipated environmental effects indicate there are no extraordinary circumstances [FSH 1909.15-30.3 (2)] that would require preparation of an EA or EIS.

The Forest Service is initiating a 30-day public scoping period for the Wrights Lake Forest Health and Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project. Scoping is an open process to determine the scope of issues (40 CFR 1501.7). This 30-day scoping period provides a designated opportunity for public comment, pursuant to 36 CFR 218.5(a). While the scoping process is ongoing during planning of this project, comments must be received by 6/4/2023 in order to be included in the analysis.
The purpose and need, proposed action, and map of the project area may be found on the Eldorado National Forest website here:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/eldorado/landmanagement/projects

How to Submit comments:

If have questions regarding the proposed action, or if you have information the Forest Service may not be aware of, or have concerns or issues regarding potential effects of the proposed action, please contact Brian Brown, NEPA Planner, Eldorado National Forest at 4260 Eight Mile Road, Camino, CA 95709, or by phone at (530) 647-5304, or by email at brian.brown@usda.gov. Please include the title of the proposed action in subject line.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information and for your continued interest in the management of National Forest System lands.