The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Office of Electronic Communications has applied for a special-use permit to construct two new radio towers and replace two existing towers for the operation and maintenance of the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response (ARMER) system on national forest system lands.
One of the new towers is proposed to be constructed near a former lookout site (Pine Mountain). The second new tower is proposed for a site within a recently completed timber harvest tract (Forest Center). The replacement towers are the current Fernberg and Meander sites.
The purpose of the towers is to provide a public safety communications network managing the implementation of the 800 MHz digital trunked radio communications system, which provides emergency response personnel the means and ability to share information via voice and/or data systems on demand in real time. This includes every city, county, state agency, tribal government and non-government public safety entity operating in the state.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on the proposed action; the comments will help determine the scope of analysis, and those comments that lead to environmental issues will assist in developing alternatives and analyzing environmental effects. Citizens are asked to consider, when reviewing proposed activities and submitting comments: Is there anything about the areas involved in the project that the Forest Service should consider in the environmental assessment?
Comments should be submitted by April 20 via e-mail (comments-eastern-superior@fs.fed.us), fax (218) 626- 4398, calling (218) 626-4371) or writing (Tim Dabney, Acting Forest Supervisor, Attn: MnDOT ARMER Project, 8901 Grand Avenue Place, Duluth, MN 55808). For more information contact Todd Hess, project leader at (218) 626- 4371 or e-mail tahess@fs.fed.us.
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