SEPTEMBER 2003 COMMENT SHEET SUMMARY

<Back

Please provide feedback on this public workshop and other public involvement activities such as the North Shore Road Project website and newsletter. Do you have any suggestions for improvements?

Individuals appreciate having multiple meetings in different parts of North Carolina and Tennessee. Others mention that some meetings are unnecessary, since many people attend multiple meeting locations. Others are disappointed that there are only local meetings and suggest including major national cities since the project involves a national park. In addition, some people feel that meetings should only be held locally since Swain County and the state of North Carolina are signatories of the 1943 Agreement. Individuals also suggest that press releases and public announcements need to be submitted to media outside of North Carolina.

People have provided mixed reviews on the small group breakout sessions. Some feel that the smaller sessions give individuals more opportunity to talk; others feel that the open house provides a better venue for discussion. Some commenters state that the meeting facilitators did a good job of being fair and impartial, while other comments stated that facilitators were spending too much time talking about the process and not enough time listening to the public comments. Other comments said that the directions regarding the small group breakout sessions were unclear, the format was confusing, and that people did not understand what type of response was wanted. Some individuals express that the breakouts need to be longer so more information can be provided.

Most commenters state that the materials (handouts, presentation, and website) were very thorough, while some comments mention that the presentation seemed slanted toward building or not building the road. Individuals also comment that the presentation was either too long or too short. People did express that the presentation was helpful in further understanding the NEPA process.

Some people expressed that they felt that conducting a public workshop at this phase in the process was repetitive and unnecessary, while others felt that it provided a good chance to review the status of the project. Individuals recommend conducting further studies and providing the public with more information with which to make an educated decision. People also expressed how much it means to them that the issues and content of the comments are addressed, while other people feel that comments should be counted democratically, as if in a voting process. Individuals state that the use of the comments is still somewhat confusing and needs to be clarifie.