(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Tongass National Forest Ketchikan District Ranger Jeffrey DeFreest announced today that he selected an alternative to implement from the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Outfitter and Guide Management Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on January 26, 2012.

The Record of Decision (ROD) documents his decision to implement Alternative B with modifications as the Selected Alternative. The Selected Alternative allocates 50,671 service days annually for outfitter and guide use on the Ketchikan-Misty Fiords Ranger District (KMRD) and includes adaptive management. Adaptive management could raise, reduce, or adjust the allocation dependent on resource conditions. The Selected Alternative does not limit unguided visitors. Unguided visitors can continue to enjoy the district in the same way they do now.

The EIS analyzed the effects of four alternatives for allocating days to outfitters and guides on the National Forest System lands within the KMRD, based on visitor capacity. Visitor capacity is the estimated number of users, both guided and unguided, who can be in an area without a loss in the quality of the recreation experience.

The EIS and ROD are available online. The decision is subject to appeal pursuant to Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 215. Individuals or organizations who submitted comments during the comment period specified at 215.6 may appeal this decision. The notice of appeal must be in writing, meet the appeal content requirements at 215.14 and be filed with the Appeal Deciding Officer:

Forrest Cole, Forest Supervisor
Tongass National Forest
US Department of Agriculture
648 Mission St.
Ketchikan, AK 99901-6591

Email address: appeals-alaska-tongass@fs.fed.us
Please add the subject line as KMRD O/G

Fax (907) 228-6215

The Notice of Appeal, with attachments, must be filed (regular mail, fax, e-mail, express delivery or messenger service) with the Appeal Deciding Officer within 45 calendar days of the date that the legal notice of this decision is published in the Ketchikan Daily News, the official newspaper of record for this project. The publication date in the Ketchikan Daily News is the only way to calculate the time to file an appeal. Those wishing to appeal should not rely on dates or information from another source. Hand-delivered appeals will be accepted at the Supervisor’s Office during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

On the Web:

EIS and ROD are available online.

Source of News: 

U.S. Forest Service - Tongass National Forest - Press Release Received Feb. 29, 2012
www.fs.fed.us

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