PAGOSA SPRINGS — The San Juan National Forest Pagosa Ranger District has released the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Draft Decision Notice for the Fall Creek Spruce Project located north of Pagosa Springs in the Wolf Creek Pass Area. The proposal includes: salvage harvest dead and dying trees on up to 806 acres of National Forest in Mineral County, reforestation of an additional 190 acres, erosion control and fisheries improvement, and construction of two corrals to improve rangeland management capabilities on the East Fork San Juan Allotment.

The Draft Decision Notice is subject to objection during a 45-day period, which began on April 22, with the publication of the legal notice of decision in the Durango Herald. The objection period ends on June 5. Objections will be accepted only from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comments.

Written objections should be submitted to : Kara Chadwick (Reviewing Officer), ATTN: Objections, San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, Durango 81301, or hand-delivered to the San Juan Public Lands Center at the address above between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during normal business hours.

Objections may also be faxed to 970-385-1386 to the attention of “OBJECTION: Fall Creek Spruce Project”.  Electronic objections should be sent to: [email protected] with Subject: Fall Creek Spruce Project. Names and addresses of objectors will become part of the public record.

The Final EA and Draft Decision can be downloaded from the San Juan National Forest website at:  http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/sanjuan/landmanagement/projects. For more information, contact Matt Tuten, Project Leader, at 970-264-2268 or via e-mail at: [email protected].