A letter from the Milburn, the Revision Team Leader, with the Lolo National Forest revision team.
Greetings!
I hope this note finds you well in the new year. The Lolo National Forest is starting things off on an exciting note with the imminent release of the Proposed Action and the Preliminary Need to Change for the Lolo’s land management plan revision.
The NEPA scoping phase will begin when our Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement is published in the Federal Register, anticipated on January 31, 2024. At this time, the proposed action materials will be available on the Web Hub. Scoping includes a 60-day comment period on the proposed action, which begins when the legal notice is published in the Missoulian, anticipated on February 1, 2024. We can’t wait to hear from you!
This is an exciting milestone in the Lolo’s plan revision process, and we want to ensure you have what you need to join us in this important work. In addition to the FAQ sheet about how to submit comments, tools and handouts to help you navigate the material will also be available.
The proposed action is a launching point – an initial step in the process to develop a draft plan. Your comments on the proposed action will help us identify issues, which in turn will be used to develop alternatives to be analyzed in the draft EIS (DEIS). I hope you will share in our excitement to begin these conversations in earnest as we move forward in 2024.
Understandably, many folks are eager to firm up their plans for engagement opportunities. To get the most up-to-date information, please visit the Lolo Revision Web Hub. In the meantime, mark your calendars for these Revision events in February!
| What | When | Where |
| Proposed Action Orientation Webinar. Amanda Milburn will orient you to the proposed action materials and how it relates to the process, share information on the next steps through 2024 including public engagements, and go over how to comment. | 2/1/2024 5-7 pm | Virtual Teams meeting, at this Meeting Link Or join by phone, audio only 1-202-650-0123, Phone Conference ID #: 213 971 124# |
| Revision Team Office Hours. Informal opportunity to chat with the Revision Team Leader. | 2/8/2024 10-11 am | Virtual Teams meeting, at this Meeting Link. Or join by phone, audio only: 1-202-650-0123, Phone Conference ID#: 731 992 345# |
| Proposed Action Public Meetings. The Proposed Action for the Lolo’s plan revision is an exciting milestone, but it’s a big document tied to laws, regulations, policies, and management direction. The Lolo NF wants to make sure everyone has the information they need to share input during the comment period. Facilitated by the UM Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy, come to this public meeting to share questions and conversations about these documents. | 2/13/2024 4-6 pm | St Regis Community Center, 230 Lobo Lp St Regis, MT 59866 |
| 2/15/2024 5-7 pm | University of Montana Alice Lund Instructional (Ali) Auditorium, Phyllis J Washington School of Education, Missoula, MT 59812 | |
| 2/20/2024 5-7 pm | Online. Join Zoom Meeting: Meeting ID: 931 5850 7369 +12532158782,,93158507369# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,93158507369# US (Houston) | |
| Revision Team Office Hours. Informal opportunity to chat with the Revision Team Leader. | 2/26/2024 5-6 pm | Virtual Teams meeting, at this Meeting Link. Or join by phone, audio only: 1-202-650-0123, Phone Conference ID#: 786 735 759# |
As always, we are standing by to assist you with any questions you may have. Thank you for your time and interest with the Lolo’s plan revision effort!
Kindly,
Amanda Milburn, Revision Team Leader
