Appendix B Public Involvement
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MCMWTC Operations/Training Activities Preliminary EA May 2016 Appendix B Public Involvement B-1 MCMWTC Operations/Training Activities Preliminary EA May 2016 [This Page Intentionally Left Blank] B-2 Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport Environmental Assessment for Enhanced Operations and Training Proficiency Public Outreach Summary Report DRAFT -- November 2011 Prepared by Katz & Associates Inc. B-3 Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport Environmental Assessment for Enhanced Operations and Training Proficiency Public Outreach Summary Report DRAFT -- November 2011 Table of Contents Introduction......................................................................................................................... 3 Summary of Activities ........................................................................................................ 3 A. Notification Activities.......................................................................................... 3 Newspaper Legal Notices ........................................................................................... 3 Postcard Mailer ........................................................................................................... 4 Stakeholder Notification Letter................................................................................... 4 B. Risk Communication Training and Information Session Dry Run...................... 4 C. Open House Information Sessions ....................................................................... 4 Attendance .................................................................................................................. 5 Issues Raised at Open House Information Sessions ................................................... 5 D. Media Coverage ................................................................................................... 6 E. Public Comment Period ....................................................................................... 6 Appendix........................................................................................................................... 10 Attachment A – Newspaper Legal Notice .................................................................... 10 Attachment B – Postcard Mailer................................................................................... 11 Attachment C – Project Mailing List (Version 03 Nov 2011)...................................... 12 Attachment D – Stakeholder Notification Letter (Example) ........................................ 38 Attachment E – Key Messages and Frequently Asked Questions................................ 41 Attachment F – Poster Station Overview Handout....................................................... 44 Attachment G – Fact Sheets.......................................................................................... 45 Attachment H – Comment Form................................................................................... 51 Attachment I – Poster Displays..................................................................................... 52 Page 2 of 59 MCMWTC Bridgeport EA Public Outreach Summary Report - DRAFT B-4 Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center Bridgeport Environmental Assessment for Enhanced Operations and Training Proficiency Public Outreach Summary Report DRAFT -- November 2011 1 Introduction 2 3 The U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Forest Service conducted notification and outreach 4 activities related to the preparation of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for 5 enhanced operations and training proficiency at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare 6 Training Center (MCMWTC) Bridgeport. The intent of public outreach for this phase of 7 the project was to provide an opportunity for the public and other agencies to learn about 8 and comment on the Proposed Action (Alternative 1), Alternative 2 and resources to be 9 analyzed in the Draft EA. Efforts to notify the public, media, government agencies and 10 elected officials about the open house information sessions were conducted in accordance 11 with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Marine Corps and Forest Service 12 guidance, and the Public Involvement Plan developed for the MCMWTC Bridgeport EA. 13 14 This public outreach summary report includes detailed information about initial public 15 involvement and outreach activities conducted by the Marine Corps and the Forest 16 Service in June 2011. A brief summary of public comments is also included. 17 18 Summary of Activities 19 20 A. Notification Activities 21 22 The following notifications were prepared and distributed to inform people of the project 23 and the open house information sessions: 24 25 Newspaper Legal Notices 26 Public notices (Attachment A) were placed in the legal section of the following four 27 newspapers: Sierra Scoop, The Record-Courier, Reno Gazette-Journal and Mammoth 28 Times. As listed below, the legal notice ran in each newspaper once, beginning 29 Wednesday, June 1. 30 COVERAGE NEWSPAPER DATES OF ADVERTISEMENT Carson Valley, Nev.; Sierra Scoop (monthly) 1 June 2011 Eastern Sierra, Calif. Carson Valley, Nev. The Record-Courier (tri-weekly) 1 June 2011 Reno, Nev. Reno Gazette-Journal (daily) 1 June 2011 Mammoth Lakes, Calif. Mammoth Times (weekly) 3 June 2011 Page 3 of 59 MCMWTC Bridgeport EA Public Outreach Summary Report - DRAFT B-5 1 Postcard Mailer 2 A postcard mailer (Attachment B) announcing the preparation of a Draft EA, the 3 Proposed Action and the open house information session dates, times and locations was 4 sent to 289 individuals on the project mailing list on 1 June 2011. The project mailing list 5 can be found in Attachment C. 6 7 Stakeholder Notification Letter 8 A notification letter (Attachment D), signed by P.W. Chandler, Colonel, U.S. Marine 9 Corps was mailed to 89 federal, state and local elected officials and government agencies 10 on or around 3 June 2011. This letter, personally addressed, provided detailed 11 information about the Proposed Action and alternatives and announced the dates, times 12 and locations of the open house information sessions. Information about submitting 13 comments on the Proposed Action was also provided. 14 15 B. Risk Communication Training and Information Session Dry Run 16 The Marine Corps and Forest Service team held a risk communication training session 17 and dry run on 21 June 2011 at the Walker Community Center in Walker, Calif., to 18 prepare the team on how to address stakeholder and media inquiries and to prepare for 19 interfacing with the public at the open house information sessions. Topics included: risk 20 communication principles; how to handle difficult questions and possible hostile 21 individuals; a review of key messages and frequently asked questions (Attachment E); 22 and an overview of the open house information session format and poster stations. 23 24 C. Open House Information Sessions 25 Two open house information sessions were held at the following locations, dates and 26 times. 27 MEETING VENUE DATE TIME LOCATION Walker Walker Community Center 21 June 2011 6 to 8 p.m. Bridgeport Bridgeport Memorial Hall 22 June 2011 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. 28 29 The open house information sessions were held in an informal open house format where 30 members of the public could arrive at any time during the two-hour event. Staffers at the 31 welcome station greeted guests and encouraged meeting attendees to sign in to receive 32 project information and future notifications. A packet of information describing the 33 poster stations (Attachment F) and containing three project fact sheets (Attachment G) 34 and a comment form (Attachment H) was distributed to attendees, along with verbal 35 direction on the organization and flow of the poster stations around the room. 36 37 Poster stations covered the following topics: welcome and sign-in; about MCMWTC and 38 current training activities; Proposed Action and alternatives; public recreation, safety and 39 environmental stewardship; and NEPA process and community involvement. The poster 40 stations included one to three posters (Attachment I), related fact sheets and comment Page 4 of 59 MCMWTC Bridgeport EA Public Outreach Summary Report - DRAFT B-6 1 forms. Subject matter experts from the Marine Corps, Forest Service, and company 2 contracted to prepare the NEPA document staffed each poster station to answer questions 3 and provide project information. 4 5 A comment collection station, which included tables, chairs, pens, comment forms and a 6 digital voice recorder for oral comments, was also set up at the information session to 7 facilitate the submission of written and oral comments from the public. Members of the 8 public were encouraged to fill out public comment forms to ensure their comments were 9 included in the official record for the development of the Draft EA. Individuals could 10 submit completed forms at the meeting or mail them to the address provided on the 11 comment form. Meeting attendees were also informed that they could submit comments 12 online via the website https://extranet.tecinc.com/BridgeportEA. 13 14 Attendance 15 Meeting attendees were encouraged to sign in at the welcome table. The information 16 below reflects the number of meeting attendees who chose to sign in. In total, 16 people 17 signed in at the welcome table. 18 • Nine (9) people signed the attendance sheet at the Walker open house information 19 session, including a member of the Bridgeport Indian Colony. 20 • Seven (7) people signed