The U.S. Forest Service proposed a fuels reduction project covering over 200,000 acres in Southern Utah and is seeking the public’s input.
On Dec. 23, Dixie National Forest’s Pine Valley Ranger District published a scoping notice, opening public comment for the following 30 calendar days on a draft environmental assessment created under the National Environmental Policy Act and its finding of no significant impact.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has granted the agency authority “to take emergency actions to protect public health and safety, critical infrastructure and natural resources on National Forest System lands,” such as in response to the wildfire crisis, the Forest Service states.
Activities related to the Pine Valley Wildfire Risk Reduction project have been approved for an Emergency Authorization Declaration under this law. Because of this, the environmental assessment only needs to analyze the proposed action and a no action alternative and is not subject to administrative review, the agency states.
According to the draft assessment, the project will focus on National Forest System lands within the district in Washington and Iron counties. It encompasses approximately 209,731 acres south of Cedar City, north of St. George and spanning west toward Enterprise from the area around New Harmony. About 127,667 acres are expected to receive treatment.
Read more at stgeorgeutah.com.
This article is published through the Utah News Collaborative, a partnership of news organizations in Utah that aim to inform readers across the state.
