Spirit Lake outflow project on Gifford Pinchot nears final decision

Issues on the record, awaiting the decision

• PendingThe notice states objections open on July 8, 2026, the day after the Final EIS and draft ROD are published.

  The notice states objections open on July 8, 2026, the day after the Final EIS and draft ROD are published. Federal objection procedures under 36 CFR Part 218 require a 45-day objection period, but the notice provides no information about when the objection period closes. The public has no way to confirm that the objection window is legally sufficient before the estimated September 2026 decision. The agency should publish the explicit objection period end date alongside the opening date.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice classifies the expected analysis type as 'Environmental Impact Statement,' which is the highest level of NEPA review, signaling significant environmental effects are anticipated.

  The notice classifies the expected analysis type as 'Environmental Impact Statement,' which is the highest level of NEPA review, signaling significant environmental effects are anticipated. Yet the public notice contains no description of the resources at risk, no list of issues identified during scoping, and no statement of the range of alternatives that will be analyzed. Without this information, interested parties cannot determine whether the EIS scope is adequate to address impacts to water quality, fish habitat, or downstream communities. The agency should publish a summary of the EIS scope, issues, and alternatives concurrently with the Final EIS.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice states documents are accessible through an embedded widget requiring cookies and, on mobile devices, cross-website tracking to be enabled, or alternatively through a third-party commercial

  The notice states documents are accessible through an embedded widget requiring cookies and, on mobile devices, cross-website tracking to be enabled, or alternatively through a third-party commercial website (Pinyon Public). Requiring members of the public to enable commercial tracking technology or use a private platform to access federal environmental documents raises barriers to participation and may conflict with federal accessibility obligations. The agency should provide direct, tracking-free access to all project documents on the official Forest Service or regulations.gov platform.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe project summary provides no description of what the Spirit Lake Outflow Safety Improvement Project actually proposes to do physically: no description of infrastructure, no acreage, no equipment, n

  The project summary provides no description of what the Spirit Lake Outflow Safety Improvement Project actually proposes to do physically: no description of infrastructure, no acreage, no equipment, no disturbance footprint. Members of the public are given a project name and a location but nothing else on which to base a substantive comment. The agency should publish a plain-language project description explaining what physical actions are proposed, where, and at what scale, before or alongside the Final EIS.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe notice says to click 'Get Connected' to submit objections 'if you feel you have standing,' but provides no guidance on what confers standing to object under 36 CFR Part 218, such as prior particip

  The notice says to click 'Get Connected' to submit objections 'if you feel you have standing,' but provides no guidance on what confers standing to object under 36 CFR Part 218, such as prior participation in the comment period. A member of the public who did not know to submit scoping or draft EIS comments may not realize they are now foreclosed from objecting. The agency should provide explicit standing criteria and confirm whether a prior comment period was held that would establish objector eligibility.

  A hole PLAN found in the agency’s own notice, quote verified against the text

• PendingThe document asserts that FS-99 passes through late-successional reserves and that a 15-meter buffer analysis area overlaps 17.7 acres of late-successional reserves along 2.97 miles of the road, a map

  The document asserts that FS-99 passes through late-successional reserves and that a 15-meter buffer analysis area overlaps 17.7 acres of late-successional reserves along 2.97 miles of the road, a mapped claim checkable on the ground.

• PendingThe document asserts the tunnel intake at Spirit Lake has no road access and can only be reached by helicopter or boat from Duck Bay, a claim about existing built access that could be verified on the

  The document asserts the tunnel intake at Spirit Lake has no road access and can only be reached by helicopter or boat from Duck Bay, a claim about existing built access that could be verified on the ground.

• PendingThe document asserts specific fish-bearing stream crossings for the Truman Trail Access Road, naming the streams that support rainbow trout populations, a claim checkable by a volunteer at each crossi

  The document asserts specific fish-bearing stream crossings for the Truman Trail Access Road, naming the streams that support rainbow trout populations, a claim checkable by a volunteer at each crossing.

• PendingThe document describes the existing temporary Truman Trail Access Road as 16 feet wide with a specific surface composition and seasonally removable bridges, a directly checkable physical claim.

  The document describes the existing temporary Truman Trail Access Road as 16 feet wide with a specific surface composition and seasonally removable bridges, a directly checkable physical claim.

• PendingThe document describes the Lawetlat'la Traditional Cultural Property boundary as approximated by the Loowit Trail and encompassing 12,501 acres, a specific mapped and named feature verifiable on the g

  The document describes the Lawetlat'la Traditional Cultural Property boundary as approximated by the Loowit Trail and encompassing 12,501 acres, a specific mapped and named feature verifiable on the ground.

• PendingThe document asserts the Shoreline Access Road would require up to 21 stream crossings and would need stabilization where it crosses soft, saturated wetlands and unstable soils near the lake, a checka

  The document asserts the Shoreline Access Road would require up to 21 stream crossings and would need stabilization where it crosses soft, saturated wetlands and unstable soils near the lake, a checkable ground claim about the route.

• PendingThe document states the existing Spirit Lake outflow tunnel is 8,465 feet long and discharges into South Coldwater Creek, giving a checkable physical fact about existing infrastructure.

  The document states the existing Spirit Lake outflow tunnel is 8,465 feet long and discharges into South Coldwater Creek, giving a checkable physical fact about existing infrastructure.

• PendingThe document describes a specific small trail bridge crossing a waterfall stream at the tunnel outlet that a volunteer could photograph to confirm its existence and condition.

  The document describes a specific small trail bridge crossing a waterfall stream at the tunnel outlet that a volunteer could photograph to confirm its existence and condition.

• PendingThe document claims the current temporary road crosses creeks, drainages, and wetlands using both temporary and overwintering crossings, a fact a volunteer could confirm by walking the route.

  The document claims the current temporary road crosses creeks, drainages, and wetlands using both temporary and overwintering crossings, a fact a volunteer could confirm by walking the route.

• PendingThe document states Clear Creek has the highest number of rainbow trout among surveyed streams because it contains more in-stream wood and logs, a habitat claim a volunteer could photograph and verify

  The document states Clear Creek has the highest number of rainbow trout among surveyed streams because it contains more in-stream wood and logs, a habitat claim a volunteer could photograph and verify.

• PendingThe document states New Zealand mud snails are heavily concentrated along the western shoreline of Spirit Lake including Duck Bay and Leech Cove, and are absent near the tunnel inlet, both checkable b

  The document states New Zealand mud snails are heavily concentrated along the western shoreline of Spirit Lake including Duck Bay and Leech Cove, and are absent near the tunnel inlet, both checkable by shoreline sampling or observation.

• PendingThe document explicitly states no NZMS occupied the area near the tunnel inlet when the study was conducted, a specific absence claim checkable by inspection.

  The document explicitly states no NZMS occupied the area near the tunnel inlet when the study was conducted, a specific absence claim checkable by inspection.

• PendingThe document claims no marbled murrelet zones are mapped in the analysis area for any alternative, with the nearest zones about 6.5 miles north, a specific absence and distance claim.

  The document claims no marbled murrelet zones are mapped in the analysis area for any alternative, with the nearest zones about 6.5 miles north, a specific absence and distance claim.

• PendingThe document states no known historic built environment or archaeological resources are within the project footprint, a specific negative survey finding checkable against records and site inspection.

  The document states no known historic built environment or archaeological resources are within the project footprint, a specific negative survey finding checkable against records and site inspection.