Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan

We, NOAA Fisheries, announce the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Western Oregon State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and invites public comment (anticipated to begin on March 18, 2022) in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) prepared the HCP in support of their requests for Endangered Species Act (ESA) incidental take permits (ITPs) authorizing incidental take of covered species from forest and recreation management activities. These activities include timber harvest; reforestation and young stand management; road system management activities; construction and maintenance of quarries, borrow sites, and stockpile sites; fire management; recreation infrastructure construction and maintenance; and implementation of the HCP’s conservation strategy. The Draft EIS analyzes the potential effects of issuance of the ITPs and approval of the HCP.