6.4

6.3 Enhanced Outreach
The North Shore Road Public Involvement Program utilized aggressive media strategies to reach low-incame
populations, minoriry communities, and individuals that may have special needs:
■ Public meetings were held in five different locations, providing individuals with multiple opporiunities to
participate.
■ Court reporters, or transcribers, were available at the workshops to record public comments.
■ Interpreters far the hearing impaired were available at the worksbops.
■ Public workshop locations complied with regulations stated under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
■ Social advertisements were provided in local and minoriry communiry newspapers, such as The Cherokee
One Feather which is published weekly by the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
■ Project newsletters were distributed via mail and electronic correspondence.
■ Project website conforms to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act: Electronic and Information Technology
Accessibility Standards.
■ Eleven document viewing locations are available in North Carolina and Tennessee for individuals unable
to access the Internet.
Demographic characteristics for the area are presented in Socioeconomic and Community Features, Section
3.2.1 and information concerning minority populations and low-income communities is included in
Environmental Justice and Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 4.2.6.
6.4 Public Participation Opportunities
6.4.1 Project Timeframe
Public participation opportunities are integral in providing the public an opportunity to actively participate in
the decision-making process. The scheduling and timing of public opporiunities are critical in any project to
ensure that the information is presented in a timely manner prior to key decision points. The public
involvement program for the North Share Road Project was designed to integrate comments throughout the
project. This flexible and open approach has provided the public mare opportunity to evaluate project
decisions and provide input.
6.4.2 Public Meetings
The public involvement program has been a continuous and flexible process, administered to collect as much
input as possible throughout the duration of the EIS process. Public feedback has served as the guideline for
all public involvement meetings.
The public involvement program for the North Shore Road Project included five series of ineetings, including
one series of public scoping meetings, three series of public workshops, and one series of public hearings, at
major milestones in the planning process. Each series included five meeting locations (Bryson City, Graham
County, Asheville, Knoxville, and Gatlinburg), which provided a variety of opportunities far interested
Public Involvement — 6-5
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement

people to participate. The meeting schedule is included in Table 6-3. Tl�e purpose of each meeting was to
provide information to the public through several techniques (project team inembers, displays, handouts,
study area maps) and to collect input (conversations, comment sheets, �mails, and court reporter transcripts).
Project team members provided meeting handouts, including comment sheets and a study area map, and were
available to answer initial questions. Attendees were requested to sign in with their names and addresses so
they could be included on the project mailing list and to accurately calculate the number of attendees for each
meeting. Participants were able to talk with the project team, assimilate project information, support other
individuals with similar concerns, and provide input during each meeting.
The purpose of the public scoping meetings held in March 2003 was to introduce the North Shore Road
Project to the public and inform the public of the EIS planning process. The public was given the opportunity
during the meeting to review project information and provide comments on items including the following:
draft purpose and need statement; draft goals and objectives; proposed impact topics to be analyzed in the
EIS; human and environmental issues; planning process; proposed EIS study area boundaries; concept
alternatives from the past; and public involvement efforts.
The second series of public workshops was held in September 2003 during the Existing Conditions Phase of
the EIS process. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an opportunity for the public to review
information on the existing study area conditions and provide input. This included information on the natural
and cultural resources, the human environment, and the transportation network. A presentation included a
review of the NEPA planning process; final purpose and need statement; final goals and objectives; final EIS
impact topics; and public involvement effor�s.
THIS SPACE HAS BEEN INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.
Public Involvement — 6-6
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement

Table 6-3. Public Workshop Information
Meeting Date, Time, and Location
Public Scoping Phase
Number of Attendees
(per sign-in sheets)
March 10, 2003 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Swain County High School, Bryson City, NC
March 11, 2003 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Folk Art Center, Mile Post 382, Asheville, NC
March 13, 2003 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville, NC
March 17, 2003 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Cokesbury Center, Knoxville, TN
March 18, 2003 6:00 — 8:00 p.m.
American Legion Post 2021, Gatlinburg, TN
Existing Conditions Phase
September 8, 2003 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Swain County High School Center for the Arts,
Bryson City, NC
September 9, 2003 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Holiday Inn Sunspree, Asheville, NC
September 11, 2003 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Fontana Village Resort, Graham County, NC
September 15, 2003 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Marriott Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
September 16, 2003 5:00 — 8:00 p.m.
Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN
Alternatives Development Phase
February 23, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.
Swain County High School Center for the Arts,
Bryson City, NC
February 24, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.
Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville, NC
280
196
132
190
72
138
124
56
144
55
186
87
February 26, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m. Canceled due to inclement weather. Rescheduled
Renaissance Asheville, Asheville, NC for Wednesday, March 3, 2004.
March 1, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.
Marriott Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
March 2, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.
Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN
March 3, 2004 5:30 — 8:00 p.m.
Renaissance Asheville, Asheville, NC
Impact Analysis Phase
February 22, 2005 5:30 — 8:30 p.m.
Swain County High School Center for the Arts,
Bryson City, NC
February 24, 2005 5:30 — 8:30 p.m.
Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville, NC
February 28, 2005 5:30 — 8:30 p.m.
Renaissance Asheville, Asheville, NC
March 1, 2005 5:30 — 8:30 p.m.
Marriott Knoxville, Knoxville, TN
March 3, 2005 5:30 — 8:30 p.m.
Glenstone Lodge, Gatlinburg, TN
161
79
124
255
65
123
96
89
DEIS Phase
February 2, 2006 4:30 — 8:00 p.m. 183 attendees, including
Swain County High School Center for the Arts, 52 speakers
Bryson City, NC
February 6, 2006 4:30 — 8:00 p.m. 77 attendees, including
Robbinsville High School, Robbinsville, NC 24 speakers
February 7, 2006 4:30 — 8:00 p.m. 178 attendees, including
Renaissance Asheville, Asheville, NC 56 speakers
February 9, 2006 4:30 — 8:00 p.m. 133 attendees, including
Marriot t Knoxville, Knoxville, TN 43 speakers
February 21, 2006 4:30 — 8:00 p.m. 93 attendees, including
Sugarlands Visitor Center, Gatlinburg, TN 44 speakers
Note: People that chose not to sign the attendance books are not included in Table 6-3.
Public Involvement — 6-7
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement

The third series of public workshops was held in February and March 2004 during the Altematives
Development Phase. The workshops were conducted to provide an opporiuniry far the public to review
information on the study alternatives and provide input. This included information on alternatives
development, screening criteria, and detailed study alternatives. A presentation included a review of the
NEPA planning process, alternatives development process, study alternatives descriptions, and current public
involve�nent efforts. The meeting also initiated the public involvement process for compliance with the
NHPA.
During the Impact Analysis Phase in February and March 2005, the fourth series of public warkshops was
held. The workshops provided an opportunity for the public to review information on tbe final alternatives
recommended for detailed study in the DEIS and how they might affect resources in the project area. The
project team solicited feedback on the analysis of impacts to natural, environmental, and cultural resources
for each alternative. Comments from the Impact Analysis Phase are summarized in the Errata and Addenda
to Appendices, Appendix J.
The DEIS was released to the public in January 2006. The document and its appendices were provided on
the project website and at ] 1 public viewing locations in North Carolina and Tennessee. In February 2006,
a series of formal public hearings was held to provide an opportuniry for the public to comment on the
DEIS. Prior to each public hearing, meeting attendees were provided with an errata sheet with updates on
the DEIS. During the hearing, meeting attendees had the opportuniry to discuss the project individually
with study team members, view copies of the DEIS, and provide their comments to court reporters. Over
200 speakers provided their comments during the public hearings. Please refer to Table 6-3 for
information regarding the number of attendees and spealcers at each hearing location.
6.5 Public Comments
6.5.1 Master Comment Summary Database (MCSD)
The MCSD is a Microsoft Access database used to sort, organize, and retain a record of all comments
received. The MCSD was developed to capture all comment summaries from various formats, including
comment sheets, court reporter transcripts, note cards, e-mails, postcards, mass mailings, letters, and
videotapes.
Each comment was individually entered into the MCSD to document how it was received, project concerns,
action item requests, and personal contact information for the administrative record. Designated data fields
provided a method far sorting and arganizing the comments. The content and concern of the comment was of
primary consideration. Comments that included action item requests and items necessitating a response were
recorded and incorporated into subsequent phases of the planning process.
6.5.2 Public Comment Summaries
Public Involvenzent Summary Reports were developed after each phase of the planning process to document
the public involvement techniques, the level of participation, materials provided to the public, and a summary
of public comments. Public comment summaries from all phases of the EIS planning process are included in
Appendix J and were provided on the project website.
Public Involvement — 6-8
North Shore Road Final Environmental Impact Statement