The Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS was prepared according to the terms of regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.
The President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. These regulations identify the steps that must be taken in the preparation of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These steps are:
A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the Programmatic EIS is published in the Federal Register. (Note: the NOI for the Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS is also available on the Documents page of this web site.)
The NOI announces a scoping period during which written and other comments on the content of the programmatic EIS are gathered, including statements made at public meetings.
A Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Draft Programmatic EIS) is prepared, which, at a minimum, includes:
summary
purpose of and need for action
alternatives, including proposed action
affected environment
environmental consequences
A Notice of Availability (NOA) is published in the Federal Register announcing the distribution of the Draft EIS, announcing a public comment period, and describing how the pubic may comment, including the location and schedule of public meetings on the Draft Programmatic EIS.
A Final Programmatic EIS is prepared that includes descriptions of public comments on the draft and discussions on how they were addressed in the Final Programmatic EIS.
A Record of Decision (ROD) is published in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days after publication of the Final EIS. The ROD describes the agency's decision regarding the proposed action. The Record of Decision to implement a Wind Energy Development Program and amend land use plans is available online.
