News release

The Inyo National Forest has released a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Mammoth Base Land Exchange, along with a draft Record of Decision. The FEIS is available for download from the Inyo National Forest website athttps://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=30428.

Individuals who submitted timely and specific written comments during the scoping period (August 26, 2016 to October 14, 2016) or Draft Environmental Impact Statement comment period (July 7, 2017 through August 21, 2017) will have eligibility to file an objection to the draft Record of Decision under 36 CFR §218.5(a).

Under the proposed action, the United States would convey approximately 35.7 acres of National Forest System lands within the boundaries of the Inyo National Forest, and currently managed as part of a Ski Area Term Special Use Permit to Mammoth Main Lodge Redevelopment, LLC. In exchange, Mammoth Main Lodge Redevelopment, LLC would convey to the United States approximately 1,297.5 acres of privately owned lands (“inholdings”) located within the boundaries of the Inyo, Plumas and Stanislaus national forests and one small parcel (approximately 1.4 acres) in Inyo County, California that is outside the boundaries of the Inyo National Forest.

As described in the draft Record of Decision, the Forest Supervisor has selected an alternative that would exchange 35.7 acres of National Forest System lands for 1,213.2 acres of privately owned lands. The difference in acreage of privately owned lands between the Proposed Action and Selected Alternative is due to the Dexter Canyon II parcel (located within the Inyo National Forest) not being suitable for acquisition at this time.

The purpose of this land exchange is twofold:

• To acquire environmentally sensitive lands and an administrative site to better meet resource and other management goals of the U. S. Forest Service as outlined in the respective Land and Resource Management Plans of the National Forests involved in this exchange; and
• To exchange developed lands in the National Forest System that encumber adequate management by the Forest Service and would better serve the community and economic needs of the Town of Mammoth Lakes and Mono County in private ownership.

Objections must be submitted within 45 calendar days following the publication of a legal notice in the Inyo Register, the newspaper of Record for the Inyo National Forest.

If the 45 day time period ends on a Saturday, Sunday or Federal holiday, the time is extended to the end of the next Federal working day. The legal notice is likely to run in the Inyo Register on August 30, so the objection period will likely end on October 15, 2018.

However, this date may change, and the actual publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Those wishing to object should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The regulations prohibit extending the time to file an objection.

Objections, including attachments, must be filed via mail, FAX (707-562-9229), or hand-delivered during business hours (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays). Objections must be submitted to the Reviewing Officer: Randy Moore, Regional Forester, USDA Forest Service, Attn: Mammoth Base Exchange; 1323 Club Drive, Vallejo, CA 94592. Electronic objections, in common formats (.doc, .pdf, .rtf, .txt) formats, may be submitted to: [email protected].

For questions, please contact Janelle Walker at [email protected].