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CEQA
The process and rules that govern the approval of the
management plan for Jackson State are extremely complex. The process is
guided by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which
specifies in great detail the steps that must be taken and the contents
of the Environmental Impact Review (EIR).
Alternative Analysis
The EIR describes the
environmental impacts of the proposed management plan and those of a
number of alternative plans. The alternative plans considered are
intended to cover the full range of feasible alternatives.
The potentially feasible
alternatives must be discussed in "meaningful detail," and provide
sufficient "information to the public to enable it to understand,
evaluate, and respond" to the agency's conclusions. The discussion should
"contain facts and analysis, not just the agency's bare conclusions or
opinions."
Mitigations
When the proposed plan (the
preferred alternative) has significant environmental impacts,
the EIR must propose mitigations that would eliminate, minimize or
repair the greater environmental impact of the preferred alternative.
In instances where mitigations
are not feasible or the agency does not wish to adopt a feasible
alternative that would avoid them, the EIR must describe the
unavoidable environmental impacts and, in instances where it chose to
accept them, the reasons why it made this choice.
CEQA Compels Description Not
Choice
Note well that CEQA does not
compel the agency to adopt the most environmentally desirable
alternative, but only to describe feasible alternatives in meaningful
detail and to adopt mitigation measures or to justify their non-adoption.
Substantive EIR Comments
To have a significant impact on
the EIR process, comments must point out errors, inconsistencies,
omissions of data or analyses, conclusions not based on evidence, or
failures to provide discussion required by CEQA.
The agency needs to respond to
respond adequately to such substantive comments prior to
certification of the final EIR. Failure to do so would provide the basis
for a legal challenge to a certified (approved) EIR, and if the
court agreed with the challenge, the EIR would be found invalid.
Expressions of Opinion
Substantive EIR comments require
careful review of the EIR and plan documents. However, expressions of
personal opinion and experience are extremely valuable and important for
the Jackson State EIR. You don't need to be an expert or know
the details of the management plan to make an EIR comment.
Jackson State is a state forest. This
means it is owned by the people of California. Because it is a redwood
forest, all people of the world have a stake in its future. CDF, the
governor, and legislators all take public opinion into account.
The politicians need to know that
public opinion overwhelmingly supports restoration. By sending your
EIR comment in support of restoration, you create a public record of
great political value. Please do your part to save your forest.
Send your EIR comment now.
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