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<br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />on its Environmental Defense Action Network Internet web site. The live action alert allows <br />citizens to automatically email a fonn/sample letter to a designated addressee (in this case the <br />Bureau of Reclamation's project leader). Of the total of approximately 7,517 email fornlletters, <br />approximately 400 have been edited in some manner from the template letter provided and the <br />remainder (approx. 7,100) are identical to the form letter. Of the edited email form letters none <br />make substantive oomments on the FEIS beyond that contained in the eIIDil form letter template. <br /> <br />With respect to the comments received on the FEIS, and pursuant to Reclamations's NEPA <br />guidance, "Only in special circumstances should any specific comments be responded to in the <br />ROD. If the oomtnents raise significant issues that have not reen addressed, the need to <br />supplement the FEIS should be determined" Reclamation does not believe that the conmlents <br />received on the FEIS raise any significant issues that would require supplementing the FEIS. <br />Reclamation provides the following additional information. <br /> <br />A summary of issues raised by the comment letters are as follows: <br />Comment/Issue 1: Objection to the preferred alternative in the FEIS because these criteria <br />will deprive the Colorado River delta of life-sustaining water, destroy important native <br />riparian habitats, and push numerous endangered species perilously close to extinction. <br /> <br />Response: The rational for identification 0 I' dIe preferred alternative is addressed in <br />Chapter 2.3.2 and analyzed in the Chapter 3, Affected Environment and Environmental <br />Consequences. Transboundary Impacts are addressed in Chapter 3.16 of the FEIS. In <br />addition, the status of consultation on special status species for the preferred alternative in <br />the FEIS is addressed in Section Vlll of the ROD. <br /> <br />Comment/Issue 2. Urges Reclamation to insure that inlpacts to the Colorado River delta <br />are mitigated by dedicating suffICient water to meet the needs of its riparian ecosystems, <br />specifically the needs of cottonwoods and willows throughout their hfec}{:le. <br /> <br />Response: Dedicating OJ lorado River Water for the Co lor ado River delta is addressed in <br />Chapter 1.1.4 and Chapter 2.2.3 of the FEIS. Transboundary Impacts are addressed in <br />Chapter 3.16 of the FEIS. See also Section X. Part 7, Transboundary Impacts, and <br />Section Vlll of the ROD that discusses the status of consultation on special status species <br />for the preferred alternative. <br /> <br />Comment/Issue 3: Urges Reclamation to issue a supplemental EIS including the Pacific <br />Institute proposal as a reasonable alternative and ~s analysis. <br /> <br />Response: Consideration of the Pacific Institute's proposal in the FEIS is addressed in <br />Chapter 2.2.3 and further responded to in Volume lll, Comment and Responses, Part B, <br />page B-22, Response 11-2 and page B-24, Response 11-6, page B-38, comment 12-6 and <br />12-7. These responses address the reasons that the Pacific Institute proposal was not <br />analyzed as an independent alternative in the FEIS. Accordingly, Reclamation has <br /> <br />8 <br />