Yellowstone National Park - Park Planning (U.S. National Park Service)

The following links will take you to planning projects in Yellowstone National Park, including Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), management plans, and decision documents, such as Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSIs) and Records of Decision (RODs). A glossary of these terms is found at the end of this document. A number of these documents are in PDF format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader, available free online, to be viewed or printed.

PEPC - Planning, Environment, and Public Comment

Many of our ongoing planning projects are now found on the NPS Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) web page. Please click on the PEPC link (http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yell) if you do not find what you need below.

Yellowstone Roads

A Newsletter about Ongoing Issues with Yellowstone Roads (132 KB pdf)

Yellowstone Reevaluates Environmental Issues for Third Phase of Reconstruction of East Entrance Road (44 KB pdf)

Projects Currently on Public Review

Plans in Progress

Lamar River Bridge Environmental Assessment - scoping completed August, 2008

Completed Planning Projects

Winter Use Projects

Winter Use Planning for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr., Memorial Parkway

Winter Use Planning in the National Forests and National Parks of the Greater Yellowstone Area

Glossary of Terms

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): An EIS is prepared when a proposed action or alternatives have the potential for significant effect on the human environment.

Environmental Assessment (EA): An EA is prepared to determine whether the impact of a proposed action or alternatives could be significant.

Record of Decision (ROD): The document that is prepared to substantiate a decision based on an EIS. It includes a statement of the decision made, a detailed discussion of decision rationale, and the reasons for not adopting all mitigation measures analyzed, if applicable.

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI): A determination based on an EA and other factors in the public planning record for a proposal that, if implemented, would have no significant impact on the human environment.

Scoping: The procedure by which an agency identifies important issues and determines the extent of analysis necessary for an informed decision on a proposed action. Scoping, an integral part of environmental analysis, includes early involvement of interested and affected public, as well as internal and external agency contacts. Although formal scoping occurs for a specific time period, we welcome your comments on projects while we are in the process of preparing plans.