Los Padres National Forest officials are proposing a plan that would alter the forest’s ecology and reintroduce fire as a method of forest management, and comments are being sought from the public about 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 fuels and reintroduce fire on the landscape by prescribed 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 administered by Los Padres National Forest within Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Kern and Monterey counties.
“The project, as proposed, would enhance protection for wildland urban interface communities and infrastructure and improve fire and drought resilience of forested landscapes,” said Christopher Stubbs, forest supervisor.
Two virtual meetings have been scheduled to provide information about the plan and how public comments will serve as a “scoping” process for the environmental assessment.
The Teams Live virtual meetings are set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 8, and Wednesday, Aug. 10.
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The deadline for submitting comments is Aug. 28, and although comments will be accepted later, only those submitted by that date will have standing to object to the project in the future, the spokesman said.
A 30-day comment period for public review of the environmental assessment will be provided at a future date, and an objection period, if required, will follow.
Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted specific written comments about the proposed project and attributed to the person objecting, unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the designated comment period.
Written comments can be addressed 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 both on the envelope and the letter when providing comments by mail and in the subject line of comments submitted electronically, the spokesman said.
