Tonto National Forest

This Draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact responds to the proposed Baseline Plan only. The Forest Service is developing a separate Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to respond to the proposed MPO, which will rely, in part, on the data collected under the approved Baseline Plan.

The Forest Service prepared this Environmental Assessment to consider approval of the proposed plans of operations. It discloses direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects that would result from Forest Service approval of the for the proposed Baseline activities and alternatives.

The Arizona National Scenic Trail Comprehensive Plan is a long-term programmatic plan that fulfills the legislative requirements described in Section 5(e) of the National Trails System Act (Pub.L. 90-543, as amended) (NTSA).

The purpose of the withdrawal requested is to protect the lands pending conveyance to the Town of Superior (Town), Pinal County, Arizona as directed by Congress.

This land and resource management plan (referred to as the forest plan throughout this document) guides the Tonto National Forest in fulfilling its stewardship responsibilities to best meet the current and future needs of the people and communities we serve.

This environmental impact statement documents analysis of impacts of four alternatives developed for programmatic management of the nearly three million acres administered by the Tonto National Forest.

This is the Record of Decision (ROD) for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tonto National Forest's travel management decision to comply with the 2005 Travel Management Rule, 36 CFR 212 Subpart B, to provide a system of National Forest System roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System Lands that are designated for motor vehicle use.

Pinto Valley Mining Corp. submitted a mining plan of operations proposing to expand mining operations onto National Forest System lands to access mineralization that extends onto claims on National Forest System lands, to extend the mine life for approximately 19 years, to address existing Open Pit slope instability in the southeastern portion of the pit, and to consolidate prior authorizations that are reasonably incident to extraction, transportation, and processing of mineral deposits.

At six volumes, the January 2021 Rescinded final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) describes the potential environmental effects from two proposed actions: a general plan of operations for development of a large-scale underground copper mine by Resolution Copper Mining, LLC.A related, and a legislatively-mandated land exchange.

The January 2021 Rescinded draft ROD explains the Tonto National Forest’s rationale and documents the Tonto’s proposed decision to authorize uses of National Forest System land by issuing a road use permit and special use authorizations for pipeline and power line corridors associated with the project.