Los Padres National Forest officials are proposing a plan that would transform the forest’s ecology and reintroduce fire as a method of forest management, and the public is invited to comment on the scope of the environmental assessment.
The Los Padres National Forest ecological restoration project, proposed for four of the forest’s five ranger districts, would “restore fire-adapted ecosystems, reduce fuel consumption and reintroduce fire to the landscape through mandated burning,” a forest spokesman said.
Officials said the project, which will implement the land management plan, would take place on 235,495 acres of land managed by Los Padres National Forest in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Kern and Monterey counties.
“The project, as proposed, would improve the protection of communities and infrastructure at wilderness urban interfaces and improve the resilience of forested landscapes to fire and drought,” said Christopher Stubbs, Forest Warden.
Two virtual meetings were scheduled to provide information about the plan and how public comments will serve as the environmental assessment scoping process.
Teams Live virtual meetings are scheduled for Monday, August 8th and Wednesday, August 10th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
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The deadline for submitting comments is August 28, and while comments will be accepted later, only those submitted by that date have the right to object to the project in the future, the spokesman said.
A 30-day comment period for public scrutiny of the environmental impact assessment will be provided at a later date, and an appeal period will follow if appropriate.
Issues raised for objecting must be based on previously submitted specific written comments on the proposed project and attributed to the person raising the objection, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the specified comment period.
Written comments may be directed to the Los Padres National Forest Supervisor’s Office, Attention: Kyle Kinports, 1980 Old Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463.
The project name “LPNF Ecological Restoration Project” should be written on both the envelope and the letter when submitting comments by mail and in the subject line of electronically submitted comments, the spokesperson said.
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