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ROD. This order constituted the final agency action by the Department of Interior relating to the
Project, and constituted final agency action approving the Federally-Approved Project.

In light of (1) the Commission's rejection of the Project, and (2) the BLM's selection and
approval of the RNFSA Alternative as the AP A in the SD EIS, FEIS, and ROD, the County and
the Project Applicant decided to refine and focus the analysis of the RNFSA Alternative as the
proposed project.

In August 2000, the County prepared the AEIDEIR. The AEIDEIR was circulated for public
review from August 17 through December 26, 2000. The AEIDEIR was developed for the
following purposes:

(1) To re-define the RNFSA Alternative as the proposed project ("RNFSA Project"),
consistent with the scope of the Agency Preferred Alternative as described by the
BLM in its June 2000 FEIS; 4

(2) To expand the description and impact analysis of the previously-identified
RNFSA Alternative along with proposed mitigation measures;

(3) To re-define the proposed project from the February 1999 DEIR ("Original DEIR
Project") as an alternative to the RNFSA Project;

(4) To propose additional mitigation measures to be imposed on the RNFSA Project
to minimize impacts, consistent with the measures previously identified in the
BLM's SDEIS, FEIS, and ROD;

(5) To fully analyze these additional mitigation measures in relation to potential
environmental impacts identified for the RNFSA Project.

The additional discussion provided in the AEIDEIR did not constitute "significant new
information" as contemplated by Section 15088.5 of the State CEQA Guidelines, but rather
clarified and amplified certain analyses contained in the DEIR, and imposed additional
mitigation on the RNFSA Project.

On January 23, 2001 the County Board of Supervisors held a public hearing on the RNFSA
Project and allowed for additional public testimony on the RNFSA Project. The Board of
Supervisors then closed the public hearing with respect to the receipt of CEQA comments on the
RNFSA Project as described in the AEIDEIR, and directed Staff to prepare the FEIR for the
RNFSA Project. The Board of Supervisors further directed Staff, the applicant (TMC) and
representatives of key project opponents, including the City of Santa Clarita, to discuss
additional measures to address community concerns or alternatives which might provide
reasonable additional mitigation to the RNFSA Project. From February 7, 2001 through March
20, 2001, the County Staff, TMC and the opponents held meetings and proposed additional
mitigations. County Staff has considered these additional proposed mitigation measures and,

4
The RNFSA Alternative, identified by the BLM as the Agency Preferred Alternative in the June 2000 FEIS,
was subsequently approved by the BLM as the Federally-Approved Project in the August 2000 ROD.

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