The Bitterroot National Forest’s Travel Management Plan weekly open houses will resume next Wednesday, on October 14th. This open house, and the ones that follow on October 21st, and 28th and November 4th, provide an opportunity for members of the public to pour over maps and discuss questions or concerns they may have. Forest planning team members can explain the alternatives considered, and visit about ideas to improve the preferred alternative that is presented in the final Environmental Impact Statement.
The weekly open houses are from 1:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. for the next four Wednesdays, and will be held at the Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Hamilton, MT. In addition, Forest officials are available to meet with groups or individuals who want to schedule an appointment to review the materials, and to discuss concerns and suggestions.
The public comment period for the Bitterroot National Forest’s Travel Management Planning project was extended for an additional 45 days to ensure folks had a chance to thoroughly review the document and provide comments. The new deadline, by which comments must be postmarked or received, is November 9, 2009. This represents the final opportunity for the public to provide input to this decision. The Forest expects to issue the Final Environmental Impact Statement and decision in late spring 2010.
The Forest released the Travel Management Planning Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS, during the first week of August. The DEIS contains a description and evaluation of four alternatives including one referred to as the preferred alternative. The goal of the project is to provide quality recreation experiences for motorized and non-motorized users while also protecting natural resources across the Forest.
Comments, marked ‘Attention: Travel Planning Project’ may be submitted via email, surface mail, fax or hand delivery to the following addresses:
Email: comments-northern-bitterroot@fs.fed.us ,
Surface Mail or Hand Delivery: Bitterroot National Forest 1801 North 1st Street, Hamilton, MT, or
Faxed: 406-363-7159.
Copies of the DEIS are available on CD for personal use, and hard paper copies, including the 40 full color, large scale maps, are available for public review at each of the Forest’s five offices and at the Darby, Hamilton, Stevensville, and Missoula Public Libraries.
For additional information about this project, please call Chris Fox or Dan Ritter at the Stevensville Ranger District, 406-777-5461.
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