Issue Notice of Intent

The Notice of Intent (NOI) is an official legal notice that a federal agency is beginning the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  It is the responsibility of the agency preparing the EIS to publish the NOI in the Federal Register.  A Notice of Intent to prepare the Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project EIS was published in the Federal Register on March 31, 2006 (Federal Register Volume 71, No. 62).

View Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project EIS Notice of Intent

Initiate Public Scoping

The Notice of Intent often announces the public scoping process.  The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is procedural and designed to ensure that the environmental consequences of major federal decisions are known and available to the public before decisions are made and actions are undertaken.  Public scoping assists in the environmental review process by providing a means to inform the public about activities that involve a federal action and solicit their comments regarding the proposed action.  The Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project EIS Notice of Intent encouraged the public and other federal, state, local, and tribal governments to participate in assisting the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in identifying issues to be considered for evaluation in the EIS.  A thirty day public scoping period (March 31, 2006-May 1, 2006) was provided for submission of comments.  A Project Fact Sheet and comment form was provided to the public through the project mailing list and public meetings.  Written comments from the public allow BLM to identify the issues and concerns of the public early in the process and to include them throughout the analysis process.  Knowing the concerns of the issues also assists the BLM in producing a balanced and thorough Draft EIS to be reviewed by the public.  At the conclusion of the public scoping period, written comments were summarized and major issues were identified.  A final summary scoping report was prepared and made available to the public in September, 2006.

View Kane Springs Valley Groundwater Development Project EIS Scoping Fact Sheet