5.0

5. Agency Consultation and Coordination
In addition to the public involvement activities described in Chapter 6, interagency coordination and
informal consultation facilitated distribution of project information, open communication, and the collection
of comments. Input from state and federal resource and regulatory agencies was incorparated throughout all
phases of the project's planning process. The NEPA process was conducted by NPS-GSMNP and FHWA-
EFLHD with support from other agencies.
Formal agency coordination began with the Notice of Intent (NOI) and the distribution of scoping letters.
This was followed by interagency meetings, meetings with one or more agencies, and field site visits.
Meetings were also conducted in accordance with Section 106 of the NHPA and informal coordination in
compliance with Section 7 of the ESA. Meetings were held to collect existing data, discuss necessary
fieldwork, solicit comments on the planning process, obtain concurrence on the DEIS detailed study
alternatives, and review impacts. The interagency meetings were concurrent with tbe public workshop series
and occurred at key stages during the project's development. In general, the key stages included: early
project scoping, findings of the ECR, altemative development, and impact analysis. The mailing list for
interagency coordination includes:
Appalachian National Scenic Trail
Blue Ridge Parkway
Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians — Tribal Historic Preservation Office
North Carolina Division of Cultural Resources
North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources
North Carolina Department of Transportation
North Carolina Division of Air Quality
North Carolina Division of Water Quality
North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office
North Carolina Department of Administration — State Clearinghouse
North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Tennessee Valley Authoriry
United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Forest Service
The following sections summarize the formal, larg�group meetings and project milestones that occurred
between December 6, 2002, and February 23, 2005. During this time, numerous telephone calls, e-mail
correspondence, individual agency meetings, and field site visits provided an opportunity for additional
coordination with resource and regulatory agencies. Meetings and key milestones are described
chronologically. Additional and ongoing coardination related to the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air
Act, Section 106 of the NHPA, the 1943 Agreement, and other coordination is identified in subsequent
sections by topic. Agency coordination correspondence is included in Appendix P.
Agency Consultation and Coordination — 5-1
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement