Public comments sought for noxious weed program in Tonto National Forest

Public comment period begins March 2 for invasive weeds treatment

Phoenix (March 2, 2012) -- Tonto National Forest officials are seeking comments on an  Environmental Assessment (EA) for the treatment of noxious or invasive weeds. The public comment period begins Friday, March 2, 2012, and ends Monday, April 2, at 4:30 pm.

The action is a proposed program of invasive plant management, called integrated weed management, which uses a complete range of tools to control invasive non-native plants, including fire, manual and mechanical techniques, herbicides, cultural methods such as seeding with competitive native species, and use of approved bio-control agents.

“Public involvement at this time is a critical component in developing an effective invasive plant management program,” stated Patti Fenner, Noxious Weed Coordinator.  “During this comment period, we are hoping to receive representative viewpoints and suggestions from a cross-section of forest users.” 

The proposed action and a summary of the analysis can be obtained at the Tonto National Forest website:  www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.  Select “Forest Projects” under the “Quick Links” column on the right-hand side of the page. 

CD copies of the EA are available at the Forest Supervisor’s Office at 2324 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, Arizona.

Mail and e-mail comments will be accepted. The deadline for submitting comments is Monday, April 2, at 4:30 pm. 

Comments may be mailed or hand delivered (weekdays, 8 am – 4:30 pm) to:

Noxious Weed Program Manager

Tonto National Forest

2324 E McDowell Rd.

Phoenix AZ, 85006

 

or sent by e-mail to: comments-southwestern-tonto@fs.fed.us  (please reference “Noxious Weed EA” in the subject line). 

Comments will only be considered if a full name and a physical mailing address are included.    Only those who provide comment or otherwise express interest in the proposed action during the comment period will be eligible to appeal.  All comments are part of the public record.

If you have any questions concerning this process, please contact Patti Fenner at 602-225-5386, or by email at pfenner@fs.fed.us

For more information about the program, please visit the Tonto National Forest webpage at www.fs.usda.gov/tonto or call the Tonto National Forest Supervisor’s Office, (602) 225-5200.