§ 218.24 - Notification of opportunity to comment on proposed projects and activities.

§ 218.24 Notification of opportunity to comment on proposed projects and activities.

(a) Responsible official. The responsible official shall:

(1) Provide legal notice of the opportunity to comment on a proposed project or activity implementing a land management plan.

(2) Determine the most effective timing and then publish the legal notice of the opportunity to comment as provided for in paragraph (c)(2) of this section.

(3) Promptly provide notice about the proposed project or activity to any individual or entity who has requested it and to those who have participated in planning for that project.

(4) Accept all written comments on the proposed project or activity as provided for in § 218.25(a)(4).

(b) Content of legal notice. All legal notices shall include the following:

(1) The title and brief description of the proposed project or activity.

(2) A general description of the proposed project or activity's location with sufficient information to allow the interested public to identify the location.

(3) When applicable, a statement that the responsible official is requesting an emergency situation determination or it has been determined that an emergency situation exists for the proposed project or activity as provided for in § 218.21.

(4) For a proposed project or activity to be analyzed and documented in an environmental assessment (EA), a statement that the opportunity to comment ends 30 days following the date of publication of the legal notice in the newspaper of record (see § 218.25(a)(2)); as newspaper publication dates may vary, legal notices shall not contain the specific date.

(5) For a proposed project or activity that is analyzed and documented in a draft environmental impact statement (EIS), a statement that the opportunity to comment ends 45 days following the date of publication of the notice of availability (NOA) in the Federal Register (see § 218.25(a)(2)). The legal notice must be published after the NOA and contain the NOA publication date.

(6) A statement that only those who submit timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity during a public comment period established by the responsible official are eligible to file an objection.

(7) The responsible official's name, title, telephone number, and addresses (street, postal, facsimile, and email) to whom comments are to be submitted and the responsible official's office business hours for those submitting hand-delivered comments (see § 218.25(a)(4)(ii)).

(8) A statement indicating that for objection eligibility each individual or representative from each entity submitting timely and specific written comments regarding the proposed project or activity must either sign the comments or verify identity upon request.

(9) The acceptable format(s) for electronic comments.

(10) Instructions on how to obtain additional information on the proposed project or activity.

(c) Publication.

(1) Through notice published annually in the Federal Register, each Regional Forester shall advise the public of the newspaper(s) of record used for publishing legal notices required by this part.

(2) Legal notice of the opportunity to comment on a proposed project or activity shall be published in the applicable newspaper of record identified in paragraph (c)(1) of this section for each National Forest System unit. When the Chief is the responsible official, notice shall also be published in the Federal Register. The publication date of the legal notice in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to submit written comments on a proposed project or activity to be analyzed and documented in an EA. The publication date of the NOA in the Federal Register is the exclusive means for calculating the time to submit written comments on a proposed project or activity that is analyzed and documented in a draft EIS.

(3) Within 4 calendar days of the date of publication of the legal notice in the newspaper of record or, when applicable, the Federal Register, a digital image of the legal notice or Federal Register publication, or the exact text of the notice, must be made available on the Web. Such postings must clearly indicate the date the notice was published in the newspaper of record or Federal Register, and the name of the publication.