Schedule of Decision-Making Process

A Draft EIS (DEIS) will be prepared and circulated for review and comment by agencies, Tribes, section 106 consulting parties, and the public for at least 45 days per 40 CFR 1503.1, 1502.20, 1506.11, and 1502.17, and 7 CFR 650.13. The DEIS is anticipated to be published in the Federal Register in 2024. A Final EIS is anticipated to be published within 6 months of completion of the public comment period for the DEIS.

NRCS, in cooperation with the Forest Service, will decide whether to implement one of the alternatives as evaluated in the EIS. Since the Rehabilitation Project is located on National Forest System (NFS) lands, the Forest Service’s decision will include whether to authorize construction on NFS lands and whether to issue a new or amended special use permit for continuing to operate Clear Branch Dam on NFS lands. The Forest Service may also issue a decision associated with conformance with the Mt. Hood Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended by the Northwest Forest Plan. An NRCS Record of Decision (ROD) will be completed after the required 30-day waiting period and a Forest Service ROD will be completed after the pre-decisional administrative review process (36 CFR part 218 or 36 CFR part 219) has concluded. The responsible federal official and decision maker for the NRCS is Ron Alvarado, Oregon State Conservationist. The responsible federal official and decision maker for the Forest Service is Meta Loftsgaarden, Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor.