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<br />7'l4ffl tIee ~ 0& (1~ 'ri'~ <br />~ &~ Potiq rid tJt&PrlJ~, 7~ IJMge &1S <br /> <br />This newsletter is being sent to all those who participated in thescoping process for the <br />Flaming Gorge EIS as well as those who asked to be kept informed of our progress in <br />preparing the EIS. We are now in the process ofidentifying and analyzing potential <br />impacts and writing the draft EIS. We hope to have the draft available for public review <br />in June 2002, In the meantime, if you have any questions about the Flaming Gorge EIS, <br />please call me at 801-379-1161 or e-mail: bheffernan@uc,usbr,gov. If you have internet <br />access, you may also wish to visit the Flaming Gorge EIS website (www,uc.usbr.gov, <br />click on "Environmental Programs" then click on "Flaming Gorge EIS"). <br /> <br />EIS - continued from Pa~e / <br /> <br />other authorized purposes of the f-laming Gorge Unit of the <br />Colorado River Storage Project. The ElS will assess <br />impacts to the reservoir and downstream resources as a <br />result of operating the dam to implement the recommended <br />flows <br /> <br />The purpose of the proposed action is to protect and assist <br />in the recovery of the populations and designated critical <br />habitat of the four endangered fishes in the Green and <br />Colorado River Basins. so that along with the other activities <br />contained in the Recovery Action Plan. the fishes no longer <br />require protection under the Endangered Species Act. <br /> <br />The ,.cope of the analYSIS for this EIS will focus on <br />responding to the following analysis question: <br /> <br />If Reclamation operates Raming Gorge Dam to <br />achieve the flo'-' recommendations needed to protect <br />and assist in the recovery of the endangered fishes and <br />their critical habitat in the Green River. then the <br />effect(s) on other relevant resources/issues. both <br />upstream and downstream from the dam. would be <br /> <br />The focus of the EIS is to identify and describe the most <br />likely impacts to all resources as a result of implementing the <br />flow recommendations for endangered fish. while continuing <br />the other authorized purposes of the Raming Gorge Unit. <br />Following initial meetings among the researchers and <br />cooperating agencies. Reclamation began the scoping <br />process in June 2000. <br /> <br />The EIS Process - Scoping <br /> <br />The first step in an EIS process is known as scopmg. Scoping <br />is an early and open process for detennining the scope of <br />issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant <br />issues to be analyzed in depth relating to a proposed action. <br /> <br />Scoping is an ongoing process meant to provide the lead and <br />cooperating agencies with the biological and sociological <br />parameters needed to understand the overalJ impacts to the <br />human environment from implementation of the proposed <br />action. The biological and sociological analyses are intended <br /> <br />to be sufficient for Reclamation to make an infonned decision <br />on how best to implement the proposed action with the least <br />overalJ adverse impacts to the resources of concern <br /> <br />Public scoping for the ElS began in June 2000 and <br />concluded in September. However. comments pertinent to <br />the scope and significance of issues to be addressed are <br />accepted at any time during the EIS process. <br /> <br />See Scoping. Pa~e 3 <br /> <br />Pa~e 2 <br />