Suspension of Public Comment Period and Notice of Intent To Prepare Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement: North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization

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The USDA Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest, is suspending the public comment period for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization. As a result of the Little Bear Fire occurring in the project area, a supplemental DEIS will be prepared considering changed circumstances. The supplemental DEIS will disclose potential impacts of a proposed action to authorize, under a new special use permit, the operation of four municipal supply water wells located on National Forest System (NFS) land in the North Fork Eagle Creek drainage. The new permit would be authorized for up to 20 years, with stipulations for frequent review and verification of the permit terms and conditions. These could occur as often as every year but would occur at least every 5 to 10 years. The new authorization would add terms and conditions to the permit reflecting adaptive management strategies, which respond both to the purpose and need for action as well as to mitigate potential adverse impacts to surface water and groundwater resources from well operations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice of availability (NOA) of the