Forest seeks public comment on McIsaac Ranch Land Exchange Project

WILLOWS, Calif., Jan. 21, 2024— Forest officials are requesting comment on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed McIsaac Ranch Land Exchange project. The project area is located in eastern Mendocino County just west of Forest Highway 7 and Mendocino Pass.

Based on comments received during the scoping period, a revised proposed action was created. Under the revised proposed action, the land that would come into federal ownership consists of four parcels with a total area of 561 acres. Three of these parcels are surrounded by Federal Land and one of the parcels borders private land on the northeast but borders Federal Land on the other sides. The land that would be transferred into private ownership consists of a single parcel with a total area of 560 acres that borders private land on the north and south and federal land on the east and west.

The purpose of this land exchange is to consolidate federal ownership within the Mendocino National Forest’s Management Area 26 (Twin Rocks). Consolidation of federal ownership would improve management efficiency, reduce long-term management costs and improve management of multiple wildlife, fish and recreational resources.

Forest leadership encourages all interested parties, organizations, agencies, and state, local and tribal governments to review the environmental analysis and share their thoughts or concerns regarding the revised proposed action.

Comments should be emailed to comments-pacificsouthwest-mendocino@usda.gov in one of the following formats: Microsoft Word, rich text format (rtf) or Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf). Emails should include “McIsaac Ranch Land Exchange” in the subject line.

Comments can also be mailed to Wade McMaster c/o Hilda Kwan, Mendocino National Forest, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, CA 95988.

Additional information related to this exchange, including the draft environmental analysis and resource analysis reports are available online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61640.

A public meeting is planned for Feb. 12, 2025. Additional details about the public meeting will be shared in the coming weeks. If you would like to participate or have questions about the project, please reach out to Hilda Kwan, Forest NEPA Planner at Hilda.Kwan@usda.gov or 530-473-9160.

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The Mendocino National Forest consists of approximately 927,650 acres along northern California’s coastal range. The forest includes the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, four designated wilderness areas, two designated wild and scenic rivers, Red Bluff Recreation Area, and the Chico Seed Orchard. Headquartered in Willows, the forest maintains district offices in the communities of Covelo and Upper Lake. USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.