CASS LAKE — The U.S. Forest Service is seeking comments on its plans for forestry management and tree planting — along with trail and campground reconstruction — in the Winnie Sand Resource Management Project area.
The purpose of the project is to help move the vegetative conditions toward those identified in the 2004 Chippewa National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan and the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Desired Vegetative Conditions.
An open house on the project is set for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, at the Deer River Ranger District building, 1235 Division St., Deer River. Forest Service personnel will be available to answer questions and hear concerns and feedback on this project.
The Winnie Sand Resource Management Project area is northwest of Deer River, including areas of the forest’s north border at Moose Lake, south to Dora and Whitefish Lakes, and continues to move south to the north shore of Lake Winnibigoshish.
More than half of the project area falls within the boundary of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation. The Cut Foot Experimental Forest and Lost Forty Research Natural Area lie within the project area, with Highway 46 serving as a main access corridor to several national forest recreational destinations.
“The proposed vegetation management activities are designed to improve species, structural and age class diversity within the project area, while providing goods and services for the multiple uses described in the Forest Plan that would benefit current and future generations,” a news release stated.
“Other proposed activities are focused on improving recreation opportunities and visitor experience within the project area and applying approximately 6,800 acres of prescribed burning to be completed in phases within the 10–15-year project lifetime.”
A detailed project description is available for review at the Deer River Ranger District, 1235 Division Street, Deer River, or online at fs.usda.gov/project/chippewa/?project=57340.
How to comment
The Forest Service is requesting information, comments and other assistance from federal, state and local agencies, tribes, landowners and other individuals or organizations that have an interest in or could be affected by the proposed action. The comment period ends July 11.
The input provided during the scoping period will help determine what issues to focus on during the analysis, or if it would be useful to develop an alternative way to meet the need for the project, the Forest Service stated. Feedback from the scoping period also helps to determine who is interested in being kept up to date on the project in the future.
“Specific comments are the most useful for the identification of issues and development and analysis of alternatives to the proposal,” the release stated.
After scoping, the Forest Service will complete an analysis of potential effects of the proposed action. This analysis will be summarized in an environmental assessment, which will be available for the public to review and comment on during another 30-day comment period.
Comments may be:
- mailed to the Deer River Ranger District; Attn: Winnie Sand Project; 1235 Division St.; Deer River, MN, 56636;
- delivered to the address shown above during business hours (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday);
- or submitted by fax at 218-246-9743.
- Electronic comments may be submitted to comments-eastern-chippewa@usda.gov with subject: “Winnie Sand Project.” Acceptable formats for electronic comments are text or html email, PDF, and formats viewable in Microsoft Office applications.
It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure timely receipt of any comments submitted. Names of commenters will be part of the public record subject to the Freedom of Information Act. For more information, contact Samuel Ainsley at 218-246-2362 or samuel.ainsley@usda.gov.
