PROPOSED
NATIONAL FOREST PLANS AND DRAFT
ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS AVAILABLE
The Chippewa and Superior National Forests
have completed two Proposed
Forest Land and Resource Management Plans
(Forest Plans) and one Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that are
now available for public
review and comment. The National Forest
Management Act requires that Forest
Plans be revised every ten to 15 years and the
current Forest Plans were
implemented in 1986. The Proposed Plans released
this coming week propose
management direction for the next 10 to 15
years.
Available documents include an Executive
Summary for the Draft EIS, a
separate Proposed Revised Plan for the Chippewa
and for the Superior
National Forest, the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement which discusses
the analysis for both national forests, large-
scale color maps of the
alternatives, and a Reviewer's Guide. The
documents are available in paper
copy and on computer CD. Paper copies of the
documents will be available
May 2 at several area libraries and accessible
on the internet beginning
April 28 at www.fs.fed.us/r9/chippewa/plan/planning.htm.
The Draft EIS includes analysis of potential
environmental impacts
associated with seven alternative management
approaches. The focus is on
specific resource issues and alternatives
identified through public
involvement earlier in the process. The Proposed
Forest Plans are based on
Alternative E which is currently preferred by
the Forest Service.
Alternative E would emphasize a mix of young and
old forest settings,
increase the amount of uneven-aged management
from what is currently used,
and emphasize a mix of developed and undeveloped
recreation with motorized
and non-motorized opportunities.
The purpose of these draft documents is to
provide a basis for substantive
review and comment by interested parties before
a decision is made. The
Forest Service will consider all written or
emailed comments but will only
be able, in the final analysis, to address
meaningful comments with
specific concerns or suggestions. Substantive
comments will help tailor the
final analysis leading to a revised Forest Plan,
expected to be released
approximately January 2004.
The public comment period will run for three
months from approximately May
9 until August 11, with public meetings
scheduled for mid-June.
National forest offices in ten locations will
host extended office hours
and an Open House to help distribute the draft
documents and explain the
review process.
May 6, Tuesday 4pm -
7pm
Walker District Office, 201 Minnesota
Ave. East, Walker MN
Superior National Forest Supervisors
Office, 8901 Grand Ave Place, Duluth MN
Tofte District Office, 7355 West
Highway 61, Tofte MN
May 7, Wednesday 4pm
- 7pm
Chippewa National Forest Supervisors
Office, 200 Ash Ave. Cass Lake, MN
Deer River District Office, 1037
Division Street, Deer River MN
Kawishiwi District Office, 118 S. 4th
Ave. E., Ely, MN
Wuori Town Hall (for Cook/Aurora
area), County Road 307, Virginia, MN
May 8, Thursday 4pm
- 7pm
Blackduck District Office, 417 Forestry
Drive, Blackduck MN
Gunflint District Office, 2020 West
Highway 61, Grand Marais, MN
Twin Cities, North Central Research
Station, 1992 Folwell Ave., St. Paul, MN | 
