Colville forest plan up for comment
Wilderness is a necessary and important component of a balanced forest plan for the Colville, but the proposed plan also includes areas where restoration and timber harvest would occur, areas for motorized and backcountry recreation, and other things the local community has asked for,” said Derrick Knowles with Conservation Northwest. “It’s nobody’s perfect plan, but it’s got a little of something in it for everybody.
COLVILLE – The U.S. Forest Service is planning a series of open houses to share information about the revised forest plans for the Colville and the Okanogan- Wenatchee national forests.
A series of nine planned open-house-format meetings have been scheduled, including one in Newport Aug. 2, 5-7 p.m. at the high school auditorium.
The series starts with a meeting in Colville, Saturday, July 16, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Community College, Institute for Extended Learning Center, 985 S. Elm. Other meetings are in Republic, Okanogan, Wenatchee, Yakima, Cle Elum and Seattle. A meeting is Spokane is planned for Monday, Aug. 1, ?5-7 p.m. at the Spokane County Public Library, North Branch, 44 E. Hawthorne Road.
“Our goal is to introduce people to the proposed action and help them understand the information so they can formulate their comments,” said Margaret Hartzell, team leader for the forest plan revision team.
Information about the plan development and comment process will also be shared. The proposed action was released June 30, initiating a 60-day public comment period.
Wilderness area proposed
Forest Plans provide broad direction to the Forest Service about how to manage the natural resources on national forest lands.
“Much like county zoning plans, they allow certain activities and uses in certain areas and set the sideboards for those activities and uses,” explained Hartzell.
The plan includes a proposed 101,000 acres of new wilderness area, expanding the Salmo-Priest Wilderness in NorthPend OreilleCounty and creating four new areas: Profanity, Hoodoo and Bald/Snow in the KettleRange and Abercrombie Hooknose in the SelkirkRange.
Conservation groups are calling the wilderness recommendations a “step in the right direction,” as put by Mike Peterson, executive director of The Lands Council, based in Spokane. Congress would still have the ultimate say in designating the areas.
Other lower elevation areas, including ShermanPass and the canyon south of Republic, were not recommended for wilderness in the proposed action.
“Wilderness is a necessary and important component of a balanced forest plan for the Colville, but the proposed plan also includes areas where restoration and timber harvest would occur, areas for motorized and backcountry recreation, and other things the local community has asked for,” said Derrick Knowles with Conservation Northwest. “It’s nobody’s perfect plan, but it’s got a little of something in it for everybody.”
Two toll-free “lunch time” webinars will be held Aug. 9 and Aug. 18 from noon to 1:30 p.m. to provide an opportunity for those people who may not be able to attend one of the other public meetings. Details for the webinars have yet to be announced.
Comments on the proposed action are most helpful if received by Aug. 29. Written comments should be addressed to the Forest Plan Revision Team, Okanogan Valley Office, 1240 S. Second Ave., Okanogan, WA, 98840, or by e-mail to: r6_ewzplanrevision@fs.fed.us.
Comments generated by the Proposed Action will lead to alternatives to be analyzed in an environmental impact statement. The Proposed Action is the result of the collaborative efforts made over the last several years and serves as a starting point for the formal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, which will include the development of an environmental impact statement targeted for release next year. The two forests began revising their Land and Resource Management Plans in 2003.
For more information and updates check the project website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/okawen/plan-revision or by contact the Plan Revision Team at 509-826- 3275.
