Hat Creek Recreation Enhancement Project

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Public Scoping Notice
Hat Creek Recreation Enhancement Project
SUSANVILLE, Calif., October 4, 2021 — As you are no doubt aware, this fire season has
been difficult for both the Lassen National Forest and our communities surrounding the Hat
Creek Ranger District. As we deal with ongoing challenges associated with the Covid-19
pandemic limiting our ability to engage fully with our community members, we now have the
Dixie Fire directly impacting both our forest resources and our neighbors. However, even with
these challenges, the Lassen National Forest is committed to moving forward with needed
restoration, improvements, and deferred maintenance that our community stakeholders have
asked us to consider.
To that end, the Hat Creek Ranger District is starting analysis on the Hat Creek Recreation
Enhancement Project, located in existing recreation sites in the Hat Creek corridor south of the
town of Hat Creek and north of Lassen Volcanic National Park near highways 44 and 89.
Recreation areas occur from Township 34 N, south to Township 31 N, and from Range 3 East,
west to Range 5 E, Mount Diablo Base and Meridian.
The purpose of the Hat Creek Recreation Enhancement Project is to create environmentally and
economically sustainable recreation opportunities that protect forest and watershed resources
and meet public needs within the Hat Creek recreation corridor between Lassen Volcanic
National Park and the town of Hat Creek. The actions within this project are intended to:
• Enhance outdoor recreation opportunities to meet public need and demand by
improving safety, access, and services, and by updating and expanding facilities in
existing recreation areas.
• Manage recreation uses to protect forest and watershed resources, provide safe and
sustainable access to riparian areas, and reduce user conflicts.
• Enhance and sustain recreation and economic benefits to the local communities.
• Remediate areas that have existing user-related damage.
Preliminary analysis suggests that this proposal may fit under one or more categories of actions
which are excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental
impact statement (EIS); however, the Deciding Official will determine the level of
documentation necessary, depending on issues identified in scoping. Projects that are
categorically excluded are not subject to pre-decisional administrative review or administrative
appeal. Further, they are not subject to legal notice and comment under the pre-decisional
administrative review process (36 CFR 218.23).
The project description, including the purpose and need and proposed actions, is available on
the Lassen National Forest web page at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=60492.
Maps and diagrams of the proposed improvements to recreation areas are also available at the
same site.
The Forest Service is seeking your input as it relates to the proposed action and identification of
any issues about the anticipated effects from this proposed action. Please respond by
October 15, 2021, so your comments may be fully considered as we move through the
decision-making (“NEPA”) process.
Comments, written or oral, may be submitted to: Robin Wall, District Ranger, Hat Creek Ranger
District, PO Box 220, Fall River Mills, CA 96028, (530) 336-5521, FAX: (530) 336-3338, during
normal business hours. Hat Creek Ranger District Office’s business hours are from 8 am to 4:30
pm, Monday through Friday. Electronic comments, in acceptable plain text (.txt), rich text (.rtf),
or Word (.doc) formats, may be submitted to:
[email protected]
Subject: Hat Creek Recreation Enhancement Project.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who
comment, are part of the public record for this proposed action. A decision regarding this
proposal is expected in October or November 2021.
Projects that are categorically excluded are not subject to pre-decisional administrative review
or administrative appeal. Further, they are not subject to legal notice and comment under the
pre-decisional administrative review process (36 CFR 218.23).
Thank you for your interest and we appreciate your participation in the district’s environmental
analysis process