The Wyoming Game and Fish Department, at the request of the Fish and Wildlife Service, conducted an elk vaccination program on the refuge from 1989-1991, and Wyoming vaccinates wildlife on Forest Service lands, all without a NEPA requirement. Thus the decision to now require a NEPA process for elk vaccination appears to be completely arbitrary. Fourth, training of federal agency personnel needs to be improved and increased. Also, federal officials should be able to explain policies and process to state and local officials, as well as to the public. NEPA must involve the public in decision making.
New technology can aid in involving the public.
These technologies could include geographic information systems and common data baselines so that information and presentation would not have to be reinvented with each successive action. Because of the power inherent in visual images, a major role for determining that the images themselves are unbiased is important. In some cases, NEPA has been misused to force lengthy delays after many months have been spent studying, analyzing, planning and developing projects. Agencies are just plain unwilling to dismiss frivolous public comments and to separate ideological commentary from that focused on project specific environmental impacts. Boundaries should be set during scoping to focus discussions and reduce misuse of the process.