An important component of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is public involvement. Public scoping is conducted in the early stages of EIS development to solicit comments from the public and agencies about potential issues the EIS should consider in its analysis. This could include resource areas that may be affected by the Proposed Action, impacts from past or ongoing projects, sufficiency of alternatives being considered, and study areas being evaluated.