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CNAliERFNE Public Involvement summary <br />This chapter describes specific actions taken by Bureau of Land Management BLM} to consult <br />and coordinate with tribes, government agencies, and interest groups and to involve the <br />interested general public during preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement LEIS}. A <br />Notice of Intent ?N?I} published in the Federal Register on July 27, 2006 formally announced <br />the intent of BLM to prepare an EIS for the proposed Red Cliff Coal Mine, railroad spur line, <br />and other associated surface facilities in Garfield County and Mesa County, Colorado. <br />Publication of the N4I initiated the scoping process and invited participation of affected and <br />interested agencies, organizations, and the general public in determining the scope and issues to <br />be addressed by alternatives and analyses in the EIS. A copy of the N4I is located in <br />Appendix D, Coordination and Consultation. Additional detail regarding actions taken by BLM <br />to involve the public and consult and coordinate with Native American tribes, government <br />agencies, and interest groups is provided in the following sections. <br />5.1 CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION <br />This section documents the consultation and coordination efforts undertaken by the BLM <br />throughout the process of developing the Draft EIS (DEIS). Title II, Section 202, of the Federal <br />Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) directs the BLM to coordinate planning efforts with <br />Native American tribes, other federal agencies, and agencies of the state and local governments <br />as part of its land-use planning process. The BLM is also directed to integrate National <br />Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements with other environmental review and <br />consultation requirements to reduce paperwork and delays (40 Code of Federal Regulations <br />[CFR] 1500.4-5). The BLM accomplished coordination with other agencies and consistency <br />with other plans through ongoing communications, meetings, and collaborative efforts with the <br />Interdisciplinary Team, which includes BLM specialists and federal, state, and local agencies. <br />5.1.1 Cooperating Agencies <br />The Grand Junction Field Office extended cooperating agency status to the U. S. Army Corps of <br />Engineers (USAGE), Office of Surface Mining (OSM), Colorado Department of Natural <br />Resources (DNR), Mesa County, and Garfield County. The BLM invited these agencies to <br />participate because they have jurisdiction by law or because they offer special expertise. The <br />cooperating agencies have actively participated in cooperators' meetings leading up to the <br />development of the DEIS. <br />BLM formally invited the cooperating agencies to participate in the development of alternatives <br />and to provide existing data and other information relative to their agency responsibilities, goals, <br />mandates, and expertise. Cooperating agencies provided input during the initial scoping process <br />on issues of special expertise or legal jurisdiction and consulted with BLM periodically <br />throughout the revision process to provide additional input. In addition, cooperating agencies <br />participated in an agency scoping meeting on August 24, 2006 and reviewed draft information <br />and documents. <br />5-1 <br />DRMS X43