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4.0 Comments and Coordination 

4.1 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND OUTREACH 

4.1.1 Public Participation Program 

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) initiated the formal scoping process by 

publishing a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 

(EIS) in the Federal Register on July 14, 2006. The FRA is the lead agency for the 

project under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and will be preparing the 

EIS. The Surface Transportation Board (STB), the Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are Cooperating Agencies under 

NEPA, and will be participating with the FRA in preparing the EIS. 

Three public scoping meetings were held as part of the public scoping process: 

Las Vegas Area Barstow Area Victorville Area 

The White House Ramada Inn San Bernardino County Fair Grounds 

3260 Joe Brown Drive 1571 E Main Street 14800 Seventh Street, Building 3 

July 25, 2006 July 26, 2006 July 26, 2006 

5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. 

These meetings provided an opportunity for the public and agencies to comment on the 

scope of environmental topics that will be analyzed in the EIS. 

Approximately 60 members of the public attended the scoping meetings, which are 

summarized in Appendix P. Meeting attendees were asked to register at the meeting so 

that a project mailing list could be created; this mailing list will be used by the FRA to 

update the public and agencies on subsequent public involvement opportunities 

(including meetings) and to disseminate additional information on the proposed project. 

Once registered, attendees received the following meeting materials (copies of these 

documents are provided within Appendix P):

 Meeting Handout describing the purpose of the Scoping Meeting and 

providing the meeting agenda. 

 Surface Transportation Board Brochure outlining STB’s environmental 

review process for new line construction projects. 

 Project Location Map showing the proposed project alternatives. 

 Project Informational Mailer discussing the project components, project 

purpose and need, and public scoping process. 

 Comment Sheet for attendees to submit comments. 
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FRA and contractor staff presented the purpose and need for the proposed project, 

described the environmental studies to be conducted, and requested participation in 

determining the scope of environmental review. Representatives of DesertXpress 

Enterprises, LLS also provided information on the proposed project. Once the 

presentation concluded, attendees were encouraged to view the various exhibits that 

were placed around the room, and to direct questions to representatives of FRA or 

DesertXpress Enterprises, LLC. Freestanding exhibit boards were placed throughout the 

meeting area for participants to review. (Copies of the exhibit boards are included in 

Appendix P.) Large aerial maps depicting the proposed project alignment were also 

presented at each scoping meeting. 

4.1.2 Formal Scoping Meeting Notification 

4.1.2.1 Federal Register/Notice of Intent 

A NOI was printed in the Federal Register on July 14, 2006 (see Appendix P). 

4.1.2.2 Newspaper 

Notices to the public were published in local newspapers. Notices describing the 

proposed project and listing the dates and locations of the scoping meetings were printed 

in the Daily Press and the Las Vegas Sun/Las Vegas Review Journal (July 14 and July 

23) and in the Desert Dispatch (July 14 and July 22). Appendix P contains the proof of 

publication in these newspapers. 

4.1.2.3 Mailing 

The FRA sent notification mailers to approximately 2,500 individuals on the project 

mailing list (including property owners within 500 feet of the proposed rail alignments). 

The notice provided information on the Scoping Meetings and briefly described the 

proposed elements of the project. The notice also included details on how and where to 

submit formal comments on the project. Appendix P contains a copy of the Project 

Information Notice. 

Hotline 

A telephone hotline was also established to provide a contact for upcoming Public 

Scoping Meetings. 

4.1.3 Comment Summary 

Public Scoping Meeting attendees were asked to submit their completed comment sheets 

at the meeting attended, or to mail the sheets (by August 15, 2006) to 455 Capitol Mall, 

Suite 305, Sacramento, California. Approximately 24 comment letters were received 

from meeting attendees. In addition to the comment sheets, 12 letters were received by 

the FRA at 1120 Vermont Avenue, Washington, DC 20590. No comments were received 

via the project hotline; however, one meeting participant called the hotline to request 

additional project information. Appendix P contains the Scoping Meeting Summary 

Report including all comments received on the project.
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4.1.4 Circulation/Notification of Draft EIS 

Copies of all notification materials have been compiled in Appendix P. 

FRA initiated the public review and comment period of the Draft EIS by publishing a 

Notice of Availability (NOA) of a Draft EIS in the Federal Register on March 27, 2009. 

FRA mailed notice of the Draft EIS availability to approximately 2,500 individuals on the 

project mailing list (including property owners within 500 feet of the proposed rail 

alignments). The notice included information on how to obtain a copy of the Draft EIS, 

the deadline for comments to be submitted, a brief description of the Action Alternatives 

and proposed elements of the project, and the date, location and time of three public 

hearings to be held in the project area as follows: 

Las Vegas Area: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 5:30 – 8:00 p. m. 

Hampton Inn Tropicana 

4975 Dean Martin Drive 

Las Vegas, NV 89118 

Barstow Area: Wednesday, April 29, 2009, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. 

Ramada Inn 

1511 East Main Street 

Barstow, CA 92311 

Victorville Area: Thursday, April 30, 2009 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. 

Green Tree Golf Course 

14144 Green Tree Boulevard 

Victorville, CA 92395 

Notice was also published in the Victorville Daily Press, the Barstow Desert Dispatch, 

the Las Vegas Sun, and the Las Vegas Review-Journal. These notices describe the 

project, indicate where and how to obtain copies of the Draft EIS, inform of the deadline 

for comments to be submitted, provide the dates and locations of the public hearings. 

4.1.4.1 Document Availability 

FRA placed copies of the Draft EIS and appendices at following libraries: 

 Victorville City Library 

15011 Circle Drive, Victorville, CA 92395 

 Barstow Library 

304 East Buena Vista, Barstow, CA 92311 

 Las Vegas Library 

833 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV 89101 

FRA also made electronic versions of the Draft EIS and appendices accessible through 

FRA’s website: www.fra.dot.gov
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4.2 AGENCY INVOLVEMENT 

4.2.1 Interagency Meetings Prior to Publication of the Draft EIS 

FRA and its third-party contractor held interagency meetings during preparation of the 

Draft EIS to seek input and obtain information from other governmental agencies with 

unique expertise or knowledge of the project area. These meetings included: 

• December 5, 2008, Interagency conference call with FRA, BLM, STB, FHWA, the 

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the California State Historic 

Preservation Officer, and the Nevada State Historic Preservation Officer. 

• September 25, 2007, Interagency meeting in Barstow with BLM (Barstow and 

Las Vegas offices), USFWS (Las Vegas and Ventura offices), and CDFG. 

• December 19, 2006: Interagency meeting in Barstow with BLM (Barstow and 

Las Vegas offices), USFWS (Las Vegas and Ventura offices), NPS, and CDFG. 

• October 12, 2006, Meeting with the Environmental Protection Agency, San 

Francisco, CA. 

• August 28, 2006, Interagency conference call on traffic. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, FHWA, Caltrans, NDOT, RTC, SCAG, and SANDBAG. 

• July 31, 2006, Resource Agency meeting, Barstow CA. Participating agencies 

included: USFWS, BLM, and CDFG. 

4.2.2 Cooperating Agency and EIS Working Group Consultation 

During Preparation of the Draft EIS 

FRA held regular meetings with the Cooperating Agencies and EIS Working Group 

throughout preparation of the Draft EIS. Meetings and conference calls are listed below. 

• December 10, 2008: EIS Working Group meeting. Participating agencies 

included FRA, STB, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, Caltrans, and NPS. 

• August 7, 2008: EIS Working Group conference call. Participating agencies 

included FRA, STB, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• June 26, 2008: EIS Working Group conference call. Participating agencies 

included FRA, STB, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• April 8, 2008, EIS Working Group meeting, Sacramento, CA. Participating 

agencies included: FRA, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• June 6, 2007, EIS Working Group conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, STB, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• May 9, 2007, EIS Working group conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, STB, BLM, FHWA, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• January 10, 2007, Cooperating Agency conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, STB, BLM, and FHWA. 
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• April 20, 2006, Cooperating Agency meeting in Sacramento, CA. Participating 

agencies included: FRA, STB, BLM, and NDOT. 

• November 8, 2006, Cooperating Agency conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, STB, BLM, and FHWA. 

• June 21, 2006, Cooperating Agency conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, STB, FHWA, BLM, NDOT, and Caltrans. 

• October 11, 2006, Cooperating Agency conference call. Participating agencies 

included: FRA, BLM, and FHWA. 
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