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Comment Period Extended on Columbia River Dams EIS by Staff Priest River Times, January 4, 2017

PORTLAND -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration are extending the public scoping comment period for the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by 3 weeks.

The previous comment period deadline was Jan. 17, 2017, and will now be extended to Feb. 7, 2017.

"Scoping comments from the public are a vital part of the EIS process, "said U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division Commander Major General Scott A. Spellmon. "We want to be sure the public has a chance to weigh in on the alternatives and impacts to be studied," he said.

Since Oct. 24, the three Action Agencies have held 15 public scoping meetings and two webinars across the Pacific Northwest. During this period the public and stakeholders were able to gather information and provide comment on the Columbia River System Operations and configurations for 14 federal projects in the interior Columbia Basin.

Comments collected during the scoping meetings, either in person, online or by mail will help inform a range of alternatives and impacts to resources for evaluation in the EIS. The agencies are committed to considering all regional perspectives and to running an open and transparent public process. To that end, the action agencies will continue to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement and dialogue with the region after the scoping comment period closes. A draft EIS will be completed and available for public review no later than spring 2020.

For more information about the Columbia River System Operations EIS, please visit www.crso.info. Written comments may be submitted by mail Attn: CRSO EIS, P.O. Box 2870, Portland, Oregon 97208-2870. Emailed comments should be sent to comment@crso.info. Information is also available by calling 800-290-5033, though official comments are not accepted over the phone.

When submitting comments, please be aware that your entire comment including your name, address and email will become part of the public record.