The next step in Grand Canyon National Park's ongoing Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) has been described in an update to the Park's website posted July 30, 2004 at http://www.nps.gov/grca/crmp/documents/3faq.htm.
No release date for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was published, however the DEIS will be published via a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. A summarization of the 55,000 public comments listed in 14,000 submissions gathered during the first public review session will be available, however, the full comments will not. The Park stated a similar number of comments is expected following the release of the DEIS during a public comment period of unspecified length. The several-hundred-page DEIS will be divided into several file sections and distributed on CD-ROM and by download from the Park's website.
Following the close of the 2nd comment period, the Park will incorporate changes necessitated by analysis of the public's submissions, prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement if substantial changes require, and release the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
During a mandated 30-day "no-action" period, the Record of Decision (ROD) will be published describing the final choice of the agency, with mitigation measures and rationale. Once approved, the ROD in summary form will be appear in the Federal Register and be available to "all interested parties". By terms of settlement agreement, the Park will again hold public workshops in Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Denver to gather comment on the DEIS. While the Park may decide to hold others in additional cities, it is not legally mandated to do so.
River Runners for Wilderness will continue to keep you updated on critical CRMP and Grand Canyon National Park developments.