[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 36, Volume 2]
[Revised as of July 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 36CFR215.6]

[Page 28-29]
 
              TITLE 36--PARKS, FORESTS, AND PUBLIC PROPERTY
 
          CHAPTER II--FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 215--NOTICE, COMMENT, AND APPEAL PROCEDURES FOR NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 215.6  Response to comments received on proposed actions.

    (a) Comment period. The Responsible Official shall accept comments 
on an proposed action subject to Sec. 215.3 for 30 days following the 
date of publication of the notice for public comment. Both oral and 
written comments shall be accepted. The 30-day period for comment begins 
on the first day after publication of notice. Saturdays, Sundays, and 
Federal holidays are included in computing all time periods in this 
section; however, when the comment period ends on a Saturday, Sunday, or 
Federal holiday, the comment period shall be extended to the close of 
business of the next Federal working day.
    (b) Submission. Persons expressing an interest or submitting 
comments to the Responsible Official in response to a notice published 
or provided pursuant to Sec. 215.5 shall provide the following 
information, which will become a matter of public record:
    (1) Name, address, and (if possible) telephone number;
    (2) Title of the document(s) on which comment is being submitted; 
and
    (3) Specific facts or comments along with supporting reasons that 
the person believes the Responsible Official should consider in reaching 
a decision.
    (c) Timeliness. It is the responsibility of persons providing 
comments to submit them by the close of the comment period.
    (1) When comments are received, the Responsible Official shall 
clearly identify the date of receipt.

[[Page 29]]

    (2) The Responsible Official must consider all written comments 
postmarked or facsimile imprinted by the close of business on the 30th 
day following publication of the notice (Sec. 215.5) and all oral 
comments received by the close of business on the 30th day following 
publication of the notice.
    (d) The Responsible Official shall address comments received from 
the public during the comment period in an appendix to the environmental 
assessment. For proposed timber harvest actions to be categorically 
excluded from documentation under Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, 
section 31.2, paragraph 4, public comments and responses to them shall 
be placed in the project file.
    (e) Notes of oral comments received in response to a notice for 
public comment pursuant to Sec. 215.5 shall be placed in the files and 
addressed pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.