Public Involvement Opportunities

NEPA regulations (40 CFR § 1501.5(e)) specify that agencies “. . . shall involve the public, State, Tribal, and local governments, relevant agencies, and any applicants, to the extent practicable in preparing environmental assessments.” 

During the public scoping process, the Service invited the public to provide meaningful input on subject areas to be considered in the preparation of the EA. The scoping period was held from January 12, 2022 to February 17, 2022.

The Service released the draft EA for the Lake States HCP on August 29, 2022. A 30-day public comment period was held from August 29, 2022 to September 28, 2022. During this time, the Service sought comments from the public, other government agencies, the scientific community, industry, and other interested parties. A virtual public meeting on the draft EA was held on Thursday, September 8, 2022. View the meeting recording here.

Comments received on the draft EA were considered in the preparation of the final EA.

The final EA can be accessed here.