USFS plans Bootsole Project

The United States Forest Service, in partnership with the Lassen Fire Safe Council, is planning the Bootsole Project, which is intended to reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health, improve wildlife habitat, and improve watershed condition within a project area of approximately 4,500 acres on the Beckwourth Ranger District, Plumas National Forest, Plumas County, California. The project area is located on top of the escarpment above the community of Janesville, CA; approximately 1.5 miles south of Thompson Peak, 3 miles south of Janesville, and 4 miles west of route 395.
The project proposes treatments on approximately 4,200 acres and includes mechanical thinning, mechanical fuels treatments (chipping, mastication, grapple piling), hand thinning, prescribed fire, and road maintenance, road reconstruction, and obliteration of non-system roads. A detailed description of the need for the project, proposed action, and a map of the project area is available online at the Plumas National Forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=59332.

Public comments are important to us. Comments can help us identify issues and develop project design features, therefore, it’s most helpful for comments to be as specific as possible. Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide the Agency with the ability to provide the respondent with subsequent environmental documents.

This proposed action may be categorically excluded from further analysis and documentation in an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment only if there are no extraordinary circumstances. A decision on the project is expected in March 2021.
Comments on the proposed project should be received by February 12, 2021 in order to be incorporated most effectively. Comments may be submitted electronically to: [email protected]. Comments submitted electronically must be in plain text (.txt), rich format (.rtf), Word (.doc or .docx), portable document format (.pdf), or an email message. Please include “Bootsole Project” in the subject line. Written comments can be sent to Keli Ward, Beckwourth Ranger District, 23 Mohawk Rd., PO Box 7, Blairsden, CA 96103. For more information please contact Keli Ward, NEPA Planner at [email protected].