WEBVTT 00:01.190 --> 00:03.200 (instrumental music) 00:03.200 --> 00:04.986 - [Narrator] The US Army Corps of Engineers, 00:04.986 --> 00:06.238 the Bureau of Reclamation, 00:06.238 --> 00:08.454 and the Bonneville Power Administration 00:08.454 --> 00:11.569 welcome your participation in the environmental review 00:11.569 --> 00:14.199 of Columbia River System Operations, 00:14.199 --> 00:16.282 also referred to as CRSO. 00:16.998 --> 00:19.385 This environmental review is to analyze 00:19.385 --> 00:23.552 the operations and impacts of 14 Columbia River Basin dams, 00:23.932 --> 00:26.412 reservoirs, and their related facilities 00:26.412 --> 00:28.245 that make up the CRSO. 00:28.440 --> 00:31.474 As required by the National Environmental Policy Act, 00:31.474 --> 00:34.229 this period of gathering information called scoping 00:34.229 --> 00:37.086 is the first of several opportunities for you 00:37.086 --> 00:39.256 to share your comments on alternatives 00:39.256 --> 00:41.161 or different options for managing 00:41.161 --> 00:43.250 Columbia River System Operations. 00:43.250 --> 00:45.967 The US Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, 00:45.967 --> 00:48.022 and the Bonneville Power Administration 00:48.022 --> 00:50.318 will use the comments gathered during scoping 00:50.318 --> 00:52.734 to develop an environmental impact statement. 00:52.734 --> 00:54.561 The EIS will determine 00:54.561 --> 00:57.679 how Columbia River System Operations is configured 00:57.679 --> 00:59.785 and operates into the future. 00:59.785 --> 01:01.784 Before we begin gathering your comments, 01:01.784 --> 01:04.507 lets first talk about how CRSO works. 01:04.507 --> 01:08.657 CRSO projects include features such as dams, reservoirs, 01:08.657 --> 01:11.824 navigation locks, fish ladders, turbines, 01:11.824 --> 01:14.183 and other associated infrastructure. 01:14.183 --> 01:15.951 The projects serve a broad range 01:15.951 --> 01:18.507 of congressionally authorized purposes, 01:18.507 --> 01:21.709 such as flood risk management, irrigation, navigation, 01:21.709 --> 01:24.752 power generation, fish and wildlife conservation, 01:24.752 --> 01:28.717 municipal and industrial water supply, and recreation. 01:28.717 --> 01:30.316 To address all of those needs 01:30.316 --> 01:32.479 and effectively manage the system, 01:32.479 --> 01:33.985 the three federal agencies 01:33.985 --> 01:36.502 must continually coordinate their efforts. 01:36.502 --> 01:38.317 During day to day operations, 01:38.317 --> 01:41.039 the three agencies have different responsibilities. 01:41.039 --> 01:43.447 The Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation 01:43.447 --> 01:46.205 operate and maintain the federal projects, 01:46.205 --> 01:50.372 while BPA markets and transmits electricity from the dams. 01:50.767 --> 01:53.265 In an effort to conduct a thorough and productive 01:53.265 --> 01:56.009 public scoping process of the CRSO, 01:56.009 --> 01:59.022 the federal agencies are holding public scoping meetings 01:59.022 --> 02:01.674 in communities across the Pacific Northwest 02:01.674 --> 02:03.341 in the fall of 2016. 02:03.685 --> 02:06.260 Additionally, two webinar meetings will be held 02:06.260 --> 02:08.952 for people who cannot attend the public meetings. 02:08.952 --> 02:11.507 You can find the times and locations of the meetings 02:11.507 --> 02:14.090 on our website at www.CRSO.info 02:16.157 --> 02:19.234 You can also ask to be included on our mailing list 02:19.234 --> 02:23.401 by sending us your contact information at info@crso.info 02:24.962 --> 02:26.521 By offering your insights 02:26.521 --> 02:29.445 on alternatives that should be considered and analyzed, 02:29.445 --> 02:32.631 you can help focus the environmental review on issues 02:32.631 --> 02:35.776 that are important to your community and the region. 02:35.776 --> 02:39.110 To learn more about the CRSO while at the public meetings, 02:39.110 --> 02:40.409 we encourage you to review 02:40.409 --> 02:42.561 the educational materials provided 02:42.561 --> 02:45.191 and talk to our subject matter experts. 02:45.191 --> 02:47.416 In addition, educational materials 02:47.416 --> 02:49.652 are available on the project website, 02:49.652 --> 02:52.950 or feel free to email questions to us online. 02:52.950 --> 02:54.772 During the public scoping period, 02:54.772 --> 02:57.158 there are several ways to submit comments. 02:57.158 --> 02:59.739 You can talk to a public meeting stenographer 02:59.739 --> 03:03.056 who will write down your comments verbatim for the record. 03:03.056 --> 03:05.190 You can use a public meeting comment form 03:05.190 --> 03:07.431 and turn it in at one of the 15 meetings. 03:07.431 --> 03:10.476 You can make your comments online through our website, 03:10.476 --> 03:13.017 email your comments, or send them to us 03:13.017 --> 03:15.184 via the US Postal Service. 03:15.200 --> 03:16.964 To ensure your comments are considered, 03:16.964 --> 03:19.687 you must submit them during the public scoping period, 03:19.687 --> 03:22.187 which ends January 17th, 2017. 03:23.653 --> 03:26.216 Once the public scoping phase has ended, 03:26.216 --> 03:28.702 the federal agencies will consider all comments 03:28.702 --> 03:29.885 and use them to develop 03:29.885 --> 03:32.494 a CRSO environmental impact statement. 03:32.494 --> 03:34.705 When a draft of the EIS is complete, 03:34.705 --> 03:37.259 the agencies will again seek public comment 03:37.259 --> 03:39.473 before making the EIS final. 03:39.473 --> 03:41.973 The entire CRSO review process 03:42.165 --> 03:45.248 is expected to take about five years. 03:45.435 --> 03:46.744 We appreciate your interest 03:46.744 --> 03:48.750 in contributing to the environmental review 03:48.750 --> 03:51.227 of Columbia River System Operations. 03:51.227 --> 03:54.449 Your comments will help shape the development of the EIS, 03:54.449 --> 03:57.150 which will ultimately help inform decisions 03:57.150 --> 04:00.239 that affect the future of the entire region. 04:00.239 --> 04:01.072 Thank you.