The revised Nez Perce-Clearwater (NPC) National Forests Land Management Plan, Objection Reviewing Officer Leanne Marten, Regional Forester; and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the NPC National Forests, Objection Reviewing Officer Jacqueline Emanual, Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.

On November 28, 2023 , the U.S. Forest Service published the legal notice starting the 60-day opportunity to object to the revised Land Management Plan and the Regional Forester’s list of species of conservation concern for the NPC National Forests in the Lewiston Tribune (paper of record) and the revised Land Management Plan, final Environmental Impact Statement, and draft Record of Decision were made available for review on the project website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/nezperceclearwater/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5447338.

The objection filing period ended January 29, 2024. The Forest Service has received objections from approximately 275 individuals or organizations to date. The objections are available for review in the Public Comment / Objection Reading Room at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=44089.

The regulations at 36 CFR § 219.57 and Forest Service policy outlined in the Land Management Planning Handbook (FSH 1909.12, Section 51.65) allow those individuals and entities who have previously submitted substantive formal comments and who request and are granted recognition as interested persons to participate in resolution meetings between the objectors and the Forest Service. This is to ensure that efforts to resolve objections are conducted in an open and collaborative forum.

To become an interested person: Publication of this notice in the Lewiston Tribune initiates a 10-day period in which individuals or organizations who have provided substantive formal comment on the plan in the past and have a particular interest in the resolution of an objection can file a request to be an interested person. The request must be submitted within 10 days of the legal notice publishing. It must include: 1) name and affiliation (if any); 2) mailing address, phone number, and email address (if available); 3) the name(s) of the objectors(s) whose objection(s) the requester has an interest in and a brief explanation of the requester’s interest in the objection(s) and any specific concern(s), including a description of support or opposition to the objection(s); and 4) identification of substantive formal comment provided by the requester during the planning process demonstrating the requester’s past participation in the planning process (36 CFR 219.57(f)).

Electronic requests submitted using the form at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=44089 are preferred. Written requests may be submitted via USPS, FedEx, UPS, or other courier to: Leanne Marten, Objection Reviewing Officer, USDA Forest Service, Northern Region, Attn: NPC National Forests Plan Revision Interested Person Request, 26 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804. Contact Sara Daugherty, Forest Planner, at sm.fs.fpr_npclw@usda.gov or 208-963-4206 to obtain instructions for faxing an interested person request.

Resolution meeting: Interested persons requests will be considered by the Reviewing Officer and eligible interested persons will be notified in advance of any objection resolution meetings. For questions related to interested person requests, contact Beth Wadsworth, Objection Coordinator, at elizabeth.wadsworth@usda.gov or 541-645-3689.

We anticipate holding a resolution meeting(s) virtually and it will be open to observation by the public. Members of the public who would like to attend, but are not objectors or interested persons, can contact Beth Wadsworth, contact listed above, for information about the resolution meeting(s) including date(s), location(s), and agenda(s).