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Please see attached news release.
Kaibab National Forest offers second public comment period on proposed vegetation management project on the North Kaibab Ranger District
FREDONIA, Ariz.,
April 23, 2020 —
The Kaibab National Forest is offering a second 30-day comment period on a vegetation management project on the North Kaibab Ranger District in order to ensure that members of the public have ample opportunity to review and provide input on the proposal. The Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project is being proposed in order to improve forest health and vigor while also enhancing habitat
conditions in the area. The project includes treatments designed to improve forest resiliency by creating conditions better able to withstand climate change and other threats such as severe wildfire.
The second 30-day comment period is expected to begin tomorrow when the legal notice is scheduled to be published. The Burnt Corral Vegetation
Management Project Environmental Assessment and all other project documents and maps are available for public review on the Kaibab National Forest website at
www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44236.
"We realize that people's lives have been disrupted over the last several weeks," said Randall Walker, district ranger for the North Kaibab
Ranger District. "We want to ensure that everyone who wants to provide input on this project has the opportunity to do so. That's why I've decided to offer this second 30-day comment period in order to give interested community members the time they need to
review and respond." The project proposes the use of prescribed fire as well as the management of naturally-caused wildfire on up to 28,090 acres of the North
Kaibab Ranger District. This reintroduction of wildland fire across the landscape would be supported by up to 17,765 acres of commercial and non-commercial mechanical vegetation treatments. These treatments would promote a healthy mosaic of forest conditions and increase long-term sustainability by creating stands that include
a diversity of tree ages and sizes. Larger openings between groups of trees and fewer areas of interlocking crowns would not only increase forage and grass production but would also make the entire project area more resistant to severe wildfire. The Kaibab National Forest encourages members of the public to provide feedback on the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project Environmental
Assessment during the second 30-day comment period. Specific, written comments should be postmarked or sent by May 26. Comments must be in writing and may be delivered electronically, by mail or facsimile. Electronic comments, including attachments, may be
emailed to comments-southwestern-kaibab-north-kaibab@xxxxxxxx. Please include “Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project” in the subject
line. Comments may be submitted electronically in Word (.doc or .docx), rich text format (.rtf), text (.txt), Adobe portable document formats (PDF), or HyperText Markup Language (.html). Submit comments via mail to: U.S. Forest Service, North Kaibab Ranger
District, Attn: David Vincelette / NEPA Planner, 430 South Main Street, P.O. Box 248, Fredonia, AZ 86022. Comments may be faxed to 928-643-8105. For detailed project information, please visit
www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44236.
Kaibab National Forest information is also available through the following sources:
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Attachment:
1650-1_so_BurntCorralEnvironmentalAssessment_2020_0423.pdf
Description: 1650-1_so_BurntCorralEnvironmentalAssessment_2020_0423.pdf
