Rain Man
06-03-2008, 16:55
I hope that some of you have sent comments about the proposed road
construction on USFS land in the Fires Creek drainage in the Tusquitee
Mountains. See separate post fo a copy of the scoping notice.
The deadline for comments on the scoping notice is this Friday, June 6, 2008.
You can send them electronically to:
comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-tusquitee@fs.fed.us
A couple of excellent articles on this issue have just been published
in the Smoky Mountain News:
http://smokymountainnews.com/issues/05_08/05_28_08/out_fr_fires.html
http://smokymountainnews.com/issues/05_08/05_28_08/out_critics.html
Thanks for anything that you can do to help protect this special area.
Rain Man
06-03-2008, 16:58
United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
National Forests in North Carolina
Nantahala National Forest
Tusquitee Ranger District
123 Woodland Dr.
Murphy, NC 28906-3145
828-837-5152
April 21, 2008
Dear Forest User and Interested Public,
The National Forests in North Carolina, Tusquitee Ranger District, is conducting an environmental analysis for a proposal to access private land across National Forest System lands (NFS) in Clay County, North Carolina. The analysis will address the potential environmental impacts of construction and use of a road to provide adequate access to a private tract of land surrounded by NFS lands. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our proposal and to ask for your comments concerning the activities.
Proposed Action
The Forest Service is proposing to authorize access that involves new road construction and use of existing roads to landowners of a private tract of land that is surrounded by NFS lands. Landowners of this private tract of land located on the Valley River Mountains rim above Fires Creek have submitted a request to the Forest Service to secure access into their property. This access is intended to serve four, single-family residences the landowner is proposing to construct on the private tract.
In part, access would be across existing Forest Service system Roads: Rockhouse Branch Road (#340A) and Phillips Ridge Road (#340A1). This authorization would also include construction of a new road from the terminus of Phillips Ridge Road for approximately 1,766 feet to the private tract. That portion of the easement that is new road would be closed to public use and the landowners would be responsible for its maintenance. Forest Service roads 340A and 340A1 are currently closed to general public use and would remain so under this authorization.
Lands on the Forest are assigned to administrative units called Management Areas (MA’s). Each Management Area has unique goals attributed to it, with appropriate management direction and standards to achieve these goals. Activities in this proposal are located in MAs 2C and 4C. The Forest Plan for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests describes MAs 2C and 4C as lands emphasizing visually pleasing scenery, favoring wildlife species which prefer older forests. All new road construction would take place in lands classified as MA 4C.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) of 1980, Section 1323 (a), guarantees access to landowners that are surrounded by federally owned land. While ANILCA provides a statutory entitlement to access, the entitlement is not without qualification. The access is that “as the Secretary deems adequate to secure to the owner the reasonable use and enjoyment” of the land and such must comply with our regulations applicable to ingress and egress to or from NFS lands.
Preliminary Issues
The following issues have been identified so far:
Potential impacts on water quality.
Potential impacts to the visual landscape.
Potential impacts on wildlife preferring older forests.
Potential impacts on the Fires Creek Rim Trail.
Nature of the Decision to be Made
As ANILCA provides the landowner with the statutory right of access, the decision to be made is the level and type of access to provide to the landowner across NFS lands for the reasonable use and enjoyment of his property. While the No Action alternative will be considered in the analysis, selection of this alternative is precluded by the requirements of ANILCA.
Responsible Official
The responsible official will be Marisue Hilliard, Forest Supervisor, National Forests in North Carolina at 160 Zillicoa Street, Suite A, Asheville, NC 28801-1082.
Public Involvement
With this letter I am requesting your comments in regards to the proposed action. Please send your written comments to Steve Lohr, District Ranger, Tusquitee District Ranger, 123 Woodland Drive, Murphy, NC 28906, or you may call or visit our office in Murphy. Comments may also be sent via email to: comments-southern-north-carolina-nantahala-tusquitee@fs.fed.us. For additional information about this project please contact Rick Semingson (Project Coordinator) at our Murphy office. Please provide your comments by May 23, 2008 in order to give us ample time to consider them. Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal and will be available for public inspection.
Thank you for your time and interest in management activities on the Nantahala National Forest, Tusquitee Ranger District.
Sincerely,
/s/ Steve Lohr
STEVE LOHR
District Ranger