What is NEPA and the EIS Process?
A. The National Environmental Policy Act is the umbrella under which this Project is being conducted. Under NEPA, agencies are encouraged to use a tiered EIS approach to make planning decisions (moving from analyzing broader planning perspectives in Tier 1 to examining narrower, specific actions in Tier 2). Public and resource agency involvement is an important component of the environmental assessment process, including specific requirements for a scoping process, formal circulation of draft and final documents, and public hearings and meetings. The intent is to ensure that the appropriate criteria and environmental factors are being considered and made available for input and comment during the decision-making process.
