LEGAL NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO OBJECT
USDA Forest Service Olympic National Forest
Canyon Forest Restoration Project
The USDA Forest Service has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) for the Canyon Forest Restoration Project (Canyon) on the Olympic National Forest. The project area is southeast of Sequim, Washington. The Responsible Official for this decision is the Olympic Forest Supervisor.
The Responsible Official is planning to implement the Proposed Action Alternative, which proposes variable density thinning of forest stands to develop late-successional forest wildlife habitat, while protecting existing habitat. Harvesting activities are estimated to be 36% ground-based harvest, 23% cable yarding, 33% combined cable and ground-based harvest, and 8% hand felling stands. Other actions include hand felling, planting or seeding herbaceous plants, snag and course woody debris creation, installing aquatic organism passages, expanding rock pits for road material, and repairing roads to support logging equipment and hauling.
The EA and preliminary DN/FONSI for Canyon, are available upon request at the Olympic National Forest headquarters, 1835 Black Lake Blvd SE, Olympia, WA 98591. These documents are also available on the project website https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/projects/62260 .
This proposed project is an activity implementing a land management plan. This activity is subject to pre-decisional objection under subparts A and B of 36 CFR Part 218. Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days following publication of this notice in The Olympian, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Objectors should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. It is the objector's responsibility to ensure timely filing of a written objection with the reviewing officer pursuant to 36 CFR 218.9.
Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during scoping or other designated opportunities for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR 218.5(a). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project unless the issue is based on new information arising after the designated comment opportunities.
The objection must contain the minimum content requirements specified in 36 CFR 218.8(d) and incorporation of documents by reference is permitted only as provided in 36 CFR 218.8(b). Objections that do not adhere to these requirements make review of an objection difficult and are conditions under which the reviewing officer may set aside an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218.10. All eligible objections are available for public inspection.
Electronic objections are preferred and must be submitted to the Objection Reviewing Officer online on the project website https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/olympic/projects/62260 with "Canyon Project Objection" in the subject line. Visit the project website and click "Get Connected", and then "Comment/Object on Project." Electronic submission must be submitted in a format that is readable with optical character recognition software (e.g., Word, PDF, Rich Text) and be searchable. An automated response should confirm your electronic objection has been received.
Written objections including attachments, may be mailed or hand-delivered to the: Regional Forester, Objection Reviewing Officer, Pacific Northwest Regional Office, USDA Forest Service, Attn: 1570 Objections, 1220 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204. The office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered objections are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Objections filed by mail must be postmarked no later than the last day of the 45-day period and must be received before the close of the fifth business day after the objection filing period.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
IPL0341172
May 17 2026
