Comment period opens for Middle Bald communication tower draft Environmental Impact Statement

The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forecasts and Pawnee National Grassland (ARP), Canyon Lakes Ranger District, has completed a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing the estimated site-specific environmental effects of constructing, operating and maintaining a public safety communications facility at two potential locations in the Middle Bald Mountain area southwest of Red Feather Lakes in Larimer County.

Publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register on July 11, will initiate a 45-day comment period for the Draft EIS. The comment period will end August 25.

The entire Draft EIS can be reviewed on and/or downloaded from the Forest Service project website at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/am/middlebald.

Hardcopies and CDs of the Draft EIS are available at the Red Feather Lakes Library (71 Firehouse Lane, Red Feather Lakes) and the Main Fort Collins Library (201 Peterson Street, Fort Collins).

Submit written comments to: Middle Bald Area Communication Site Comments, c/o Logan Simpson Design, 123 N. College Ave., Ste. 206, Fort Collins, CO 80524. Submit electronic comments via email, plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf) or Word (.doc) to: [email protected]. This link is also on the project website.

Comments may be hand-delivered Monday through Friday between 9 am. and 5 p.m. Regardless of format or delivery method, comments must be received or postmarked by August 25.

Eligibility to file an objection during the objection period is based on submission of substantive comments on the Draft EIS. It is your responsibility to meet the criteria to file an objection in the future. If you choose to comment, include: (1) your name, address, telephone number and organization represented (if applicable); (2) title of Draft EIS upon which you are commenting; (3) comments pertaining to the analysis with substantive supporting rationale that would be helpful to consider in reaching a decision. Be as specific as possible. Comments must have an identifiable name attached or verification of identity will be required to file an objection.

Your comments will be considered before any decision is made on this project and will be addressed in the Final EIS. Notification of issuance of the Final EIS and draft decision document will be mailed to those individuals or groups who submit comments. If you do not provide comments on the Draft EIS but want to be notified when the Final EIS and draft decision are issued, contact Logan Simpson
Design at [email protected].

If you wish to review a CD or a hardcopy version and are technically unable to download it from the Forest Service website, please contact Logan Simpson Design, 123 N. College Ave., Ste. 206, Fort Collins, CO 80524, 970-449-4100.