Excerpt from 36 CFR 215 regarding comments received on proposed actions.

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 36 CFR 215.6

@ 215.6 Response to comments received on proposed actions.

(a) Comment period. The Responsible Official shall accept commentson an proposed action subject to @ 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 @ 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.

(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 (@ 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 @ 215.5 shall be placed in the files and addressed pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.