Invitations/Inquiries
As part of the scoping process of the National Environmental Policy Act (40 CFR 1501.6), the Forest Service (the lead agency) is identifying and inviting "cooperating agencies."
40 CFR 1508.5 Definition of Cooperating Agency
"Cooperating agency" means any Federal agency other than a lead agency which has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved in a proposal (or a reasonable alternative) for legislation or other major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. The selection and responsibilities of a cooperating agency are described in Sec. 1501.6. A State or local agency of similar qualifications or, when the effects are on a reservation, an Indian Tribe, may by agreement with the lead agency become a cooperating agency."
The agencies listed below have either been invited in writing to either participate or to express their interest and eligibility to participate. This is not an exhaustive list of possible cooperative agencies. Additional agencies may be identified as the scoping process continues.
The Forest Service also published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting written responses of interest and eligibility from potential federal and non-federal cooperating agencies by August 29, 2008.
The status of cooperating agencies is summarized in the table below:
INITIAL INVITATIONS
(Summary: 12 invitations, 1 decline, 5 in review, 6 formal agreements)
| Tribal Governments | ||||
| Invitation | Invitation Date | Agency | Response Status | Response |
| HTML | HTML | |||
| 07/10/08 | Tohono O’odham Nation (including Tribal Liaison Coordination) | In Review | ||
| Federal Agencies | ||||
| Invitation | Invitation Date | Agency | Response Status | Response |
| HTML | HTML | |||
| View | 07/10/08 | Dept. of the Air Force, 162d Fighter Airwing | MOU 3/27/09 | View |
| View | 07/10/08 | Dept. of Army, Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles District | Letter 8/21/081 | |
| View | 07/10/08 | Environmental Protection Agency | Declined 10/14/08 | |
| View | 07/10/08 | USDI Bureau of Land Management, Tucson Field Office | MOU 12/04/09 | View |
| Arizona State Agencies | ||||
| Invitation | Invitation Date | Agency | Response Status | Response |
| HTML | HTML | |||
| View | 07/10/08 | Arizona Dept. of Environmental Quality | MOU 5/19/09 | View |
| View | 07/10/08 | Arizona Dept. of Mines and Mineral Resources | MOU 4/14/09 | View |
| View | 07/10/08 | Arizona Dept. of Transportation | In Review | |
| View | 07/10/08 | Arizona Game and Fish Department | MOU 7/09/09 | View |
| View | 07/10/08 | Arizona State Land Dept. | MOU 5/28/09 | View |
| View | 07/10/08 | Pima County | MOU 6/09/09 | View |
| 10/09/08 | Town of Sahuarita | MOU 6/09/09 | View | |
1Corps of Engineer policy prohibits signing MOUs. They sent a letter of cooperation parameters.
INITIAL INQUIRIES
(Summary: 20 inquiries, 13 declines, 2 unknown, 4 in review, 1 formal agreement)
| Federal Agencies | ||||
| Inquiry | Inquiry Date | Agency | Response Status | Response |
| HTML | HTML | |||
| View | 07/22/08 | Dept. of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Arizona Division | Declined 8/26/08 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Dept. of Energy, Western Area Power Administration | Declined 7/31/08 | |
| View | 07/10/08 | USDI Bureau of Reclamation | Declined 9/12/08 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | USDI U.S. Geological Survey | Declined 8/14/08 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Dept. of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration | Declined 8/06/08 | |
| View | 07/15/08 | USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians | Declined 9/04/082 | |
| View | 07/16/08 | Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration | Unknown | |
| View | 07/18/08 | USDI Fish and Wildlife Service | Unknown | |
| View | 07/14/08 | Office of Surface Mining Reclamation | Declined 5/11/09 | |
| Arizona State Agencies | ||||
| Inquiry | Inquiry Date | Agency | Response Status | Response |
| HTML | HTML | |||
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona Dept. of Administration, Risk Management | Declined 5/18/09 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona Dept. of Public Safety | Declined 8/15/08 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona Dept. of Water Resources | MOU 6/25/09 | View |
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona Geological Survey | MOU 4/20/09 | View |
| View | 07/22/08 | Arizona State Historic Preservation Office | Declined 7/31/08 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona State Mine Inspector | MOU 9/18/09 | View |
| View | 07/18/08 | Arizona State Parks | MOU 7/09/09 | View |
| View | 07/22/08 | Arizona Water Banking Authority | Declined 5/11/09 | |
| View | 07/21/08 | City of Tucson | MOU 6/25/09 | View |
| View | 07/21/08 | Cochise County | Declined 6/08/09 | |
| View | 07/18/08 | Santa Cruz County | Declined 8/29/08 | |
2Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians declined, but forwarded inquiry on to Bureau of Indian Affairs.