Modoc National Forest

Sage Steppe Ecosystem Restoration Strategy Record of Decision (ROD) & Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

Dear Interested Party:

One this page you will finda copy of the Modoc National Forest Record of Decision (ROD) for the Sage Steppe Ecosystem Restoration Strategy Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The ROD pertains only to lands within the project area that are administered by the Modoc National Forest . The ROD documents my decision to select Alternative J and my decision rationale.

As you are aware, for the past several years, the Modoc National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management's Alturas Field Office have been working towards completion of the FEIS. The FEIS describes alternatives for restoration of sage steppe ecosystem across the 6.5 million acre analysis area. The FEIS provides analysis of six alternatives including No Action (Current Management).

The Bureau of Land Management's three Field Offices in northeastern California plan to issue companion RODs involving lands under their jurisdiction.

This planning effort officially began in July, 2005 when a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement was published in the Federal Register. In August, 2007 a Draft Environmental Statement was released for public review. The FEIS was released in May, 2008. It is expected that the Legal Notice of this ROD will be published in the Modoc County Record on September 25, 2008.

Copies of the Record of Decision are available at the Modoc National Forest , Supervisor's Office, 800 West 12 th Street Alturas , CA.

For further information, or to request additional copies of the Record of Decision, contact Rob Jeffers, Project Lead, Modoc National Forest , 800 West 12 th Street , Alturas , CA 96101 or call (530) 233-8816, or email your request to rgjeffers@fs.fed.us .

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to the many individuals, public and private organizations and Indian Tribes, who participated in development of this strategy. During the planning process we received a great deal of information and many valuable comments that were used to develop the FEIS. We look forward to working with all interested parties in the future to restore this extremely important ecosystem.

Sincerely,