Legal Notice: Opportunity to Object 2025 Mt. Baker Geothermal Consent to Lease USDA Forest Service Mt. Baker Ranger District, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Whatcom County, WA The USDA Forest Service has prepared a final environmental assessment (EA) and draft finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for the 2025 Mt. Baker Geothermal Consent to Lease (CTL) Project. The project area surrounds Mt. Baker on all sides within the Mt. Baker Ranger District. The responsible official for the project is the MBS Forest Supervisor, Erin Uloth. The CTL is a focused administrative analysis to determine whether nominated parcels of National Forest System (NFS) lands are available for geothermal leasing and provide stipulations on certain nominated parcels to protect surface resources. This project initiated public comment and is initiating public objection after the publication of the proposed amendment to the regulations at 36 CFR 218 in the Federal Register on February 6, 2026 (91 FR 5387). This project and the associated EA and FONSI will not be subject to the revised administrative review process and will follow the administrative review process established prior to the proposed rule. The final EA and draft FONSI for the CTL project are available on the project website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/mbs/projects/284163, which is the most up-to-date source for project information. Additional information can be provided by contacting Cody Franklin, Environmental Coordinator, at objections-pnw-mtbaker-snoqualmie@usda.gov. The CTL project is subject to pre-decisional administrative review pursuant to 36 CFR 218, Subparts A and B. Objections, including attachments, must be filed with the appropriate reviewing officer within 45 calendar days, starting the day after publication of this notice in the Everett Herald of Everett, Washington and the Bellingham Herald of Bellingham, Washington, the newspapers of record. The publication date is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Objectors should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. If the objection filing period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, objections will be accepted until the end of the next Federal working day. Objectors are responsible for ensuring objections meet the requirements of eligible objections as described in 36 CFR 218.8-10. Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed project during designated opportunities for public comment in accordance with 36 CFR 218.5(a). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific written comments regarding the proposed project unless the issue is based on new information arising after the designated comment opportunities. Electronic responses are preferred and can be submitted via the Comment Analysis and Response Application (CARA). To access CARA, visit the project website and click “Get Connected” and then “Comment/Object on Project.” Electronic submissions must be submitted in a format that is readable with optical character recognition software (e.g., Word, PDF, Rich Text) and be searchable. An automated response will confirm your electronic objection has been received. Objections may be sent by mail or hand delivered: Objection Reviewing Officer, Region 6 Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region, USDA Forest Service, Attn: 1570/1950 Objections, 1220 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204. Objections filed by mail must be postmarked no later than the last day of the 45-day period and must be received before the close of the fifth business day after the objection filing period. Hand-delivered objections can be delivered between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. Monday through Friday excluding Federal holidays. An objection must include the following (36 CFR 218.8(d)): 1) The objector’s name and address, with a telephone number, if available; 2) a signature or other verification of authorship upon request (a scanned signature for Email may be filed with the objection); 3) when multiple names are listed on an objection, identification of the lead objector (verification of the identity of the lead objector shall be provided upon request); 4) the name of the proposed project, the name and title of the Responsible Official, and the name(s) of the National Forest(s) and/or Ranger District(s) on which the proposed project will be implemented; 5) a description of those aspects of the proposed project addressed by the objection, including specific issues related to the proposed project if applicable, how the objector believes the environmental analysis or draft decision specifically violates law, regulation, or policy; suggested remedies that would resolve the objection; supporting reasons for the reviewing officer to consider; and 6) a statement that demonstrates connection between prior specific written comments on the particular proposed project or activity and the content of the objection, unless the objection concerns an issue that arose after the designated opportunity for formal comment. With certain exceptions (36 CFR 218.8(b)), all documents referenced in the objection must be included with the objection. Responses that do not adhere to these requirements make review of an objection difficult and are conditions under which the reviewing officer may set aside an objection pursuant to 36 CFR 218.10. Objections received in response to this solicitation, including names and addresses of those who object, will be considered part of the public record on these proposed actions and will be available for public inspection. Published: August 11, 2026. EDH1034885

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