Scoping and NEPA 

The Army invites public participation in the NEPA process. Consideration of the views and information of all interested people promotes open communication and enables better decision making.  All agencies, organizations, and members of the public having a potential interest in the proposed action – including minority, low-income, and/or disadvantaged groups – are urged to participate in the decision-making process.

The term “public” is used to describe individuals who reside in communities near the project area or who might be interested or affected by the proposed action. “Stakeholders” include Federally-recognized American Indian Tribes associated with the Fort Stewart area; Federal, State of Georgia, and local governmental agencies with regulatory authority over the Installation (e.g., the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Georgia Environmental Protection Division); special interest groups involving environmental or military matters; and any other person that may have a particular interest in the region. 

Public Scoping Process
Public participation opportunities are guided by the Army NEPA regulation (32 CFR 651), which requires the preparation and implementation of public participation plans to guide the public and stakeholder involvement process in an EIS.   The Installation has developed a public participation plan (PPP) for this Draft EIS, the purpose of which is to properly and most effectively conduct public outreach.  These techniques include identification of newspapers for public notices or media releases; the use of other public media, such as radio or television; the best locations for scoping and public meetings; availability of the Draft and Final EIS for the public; and other pertinent issues, such as the requirement for multilingual information. 

Scoping is an early and open process for (1) actively bringing the public into the decision-making process, (2) determining the scope of issues to be addressed, and (3) identifying the major issues related to a proposed action (40 CFR 1501.7).  CEQ and Army NEPA regulations require a scoping process in the development of an EIS.  The scoping period began on April 3, 2009, with the announcement of the NOI and Public Scoping Meetings.  Additional information about this process can be found in The Citizen’s Guide to the NEPA Process and the NEPA Analysis Guidance Manual Quick Look Guide.  Additional background information on the Army’s NEPA activities can be found at the United States Army Environmental Command (USAEC) website.

Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS
On April 3, 2009, the Department of the Army issued a Notice of Intent  (NOI) to prepare an EIS at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in the Federal Register (FR) (74 FR 15257) and local newspapers (The Savannah Morning News, the Coastal Courier, and The Frontline).  Copies of the NOI’s publication in these media sources are in Appendix A of the Draft EIS  Fort Stewart also mailed copies of the NOI (including the notice of public scoping meetings) to local, county, State, Federal, and Tribal representatives, as well as other interested parties (such as local community organizations).  The NOI indicated that the EIS would analyze the potential effects associated with range construction, cantonment expansion, the expansion of Georgia Highway 144 East, and the Georgia Highway 144 Bypass.  The scope was later reduced to eliminate cantonment expansion and the transportation projects due to a lack of sufficient project information, level of design, or funding certainty.  The revised scope is analyzed in the Draft and Final EIS.

Public Scoping Meetings
The scoping meetings were held on April 13, 2009, at the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, Georgia; April 14, 2009; at the Georgia National Guard Armory in Hinesville, Georgia; and on April 16, 2009, at the Wetlands Education Center in Richmond Hill, Georgia.  The public was informed of these meetings via the printing of the NOI and informed that comments would be accepted.  They were encouraged to submit scoping comments at the meeting itself, by mailing in the handout comment forms, or by visiting the EIS webpage.  Sign-in sheets and comments (both written and transcribed by the court reporter) are included in Appendix A of the Draft EIS.  Comments received after the meetings or submitted via the EIS website also are included in this appendix, as are articles from local, regional, or national newspapers, radio stations, and televised broadcasts, arranged in chronological order of publication.

Draft EIS
The public has 45 days to submit comments on the Draft EIS from the date of the EPA’s Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS in the Federal Register.  Federal, State of Georgia, local, and Tribal representatives, as well as other stakeholders and members of the public expressing interest in the Draft EIS, will be notified and mailed a copy of the NOA providing information on its availability, the request for its review and comment, and details regarding the public meetings scheduled for the Draft EIS. 
This Draft EIS will be available to the public at the start of the public comment period via the EIS website and local libraries.  The Army will hold public meetings to receive comment on this Draft EIS no earlier than 15 days after the Draft EIS announcement by the EPA.  All comments received during the public comment period will be considered in the preparation of the Final EIS.  All comments, including the transcript of the public review meetings and the Army’s responses to those comments, will be provided in Appendix A of the Final EIS. 

Final EIS
Comments received on the Draft EIS will be utilized to complete the Final EIS.  When the Final EIS is complete, an NOA  will be published in the FR and local news media announcing its availability and where copies of the document may be obtained.  Federal, State, local, and Tribal representatives, as well as other stakeholders and members of the public expressing interest in the Final EIS, will receive a mailed copy of the NOA.