The USDA Forest Service has filed a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the Spirit Lake Outflow Safety Improvement Project within the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington. The existing Spirit Lake drainage tunnel, built under emergency conditions after the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, faces progressive structural failure from volcanic, geologic, and seismic hazards, putting roughly 50,000 downstream residents at risk of catastrophic flooding and mudflows. The EIS will evaluate six outflow improvement alternatives plus No Action, covering impacts to aquatic resources, hydrology, cultural resources, and recreation. Scoping comments are due November 14, 2024; a DEIS is expected May 2025.12