Public Involvement

Public involvement is an integral part of the Environmental Impact Analysis Process, which requires full disclosure of potential environmental impacts to the public and encourages public involvement. The public has an important role in providing input during this process to help the National Guard Bureau (NGB) make more informed decisions about implementing this proposal.

The public participates in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process during the following key stages:

• Public Scoping Period: During the public scoping period, the public helps to identify the scope of analysis, environmental resource areas to be evaluated, and potential alternatives to be analyzed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Input received during the public scoping period is considered in the development of the Draft EIS. The scoping period for the EIS began with publication of the "Notice of Intent" in the Federal Register on June 4, 2024, and ended on July 11, 2024. The NGB held a public scoping meeting in Klamath Falls, Oregon, on June 26, 2024. Comments received during the public scoping period were reviewed and considered in development of the Draft EIS.

• Draft EIS Public Review and Comment Period (Upcoming Phase): After public scoping is complete, the next opportunity for public comment is during the Draft EIS public review and comment period. The Draft EIS public review and comment period is anticipated to begin in winter 2026 with publication of the “Notice of Availability” in the Federal Register. During the Draft EIS public review and comment period, the public will have the opportunity to review, evaluate, and comment on the environmental impact analysis presented in the Draft EIS. Input received during this comment period is considered in the development of the Final EIS.