The Update and the Environmental Process

In October 2003 the Regional Council, the lead agency for the update and environmental review, determined that population and employment growth associated with extending VISION 2020 to 2040 would likely result in environmental impacts that need to be documented and mitigated. The Regional Council issued a Determination of Significance, pursuant to SEPA — RCW 43.21C.030 (2)(c)).

The Determination of Significance marked the beginning of an extended public outreach and scoping process that began in October 2003 and extended to March 2004. Public outreach included a variety of methods, including a public opinion survey, workshops, public open houses, presentations to a diverse set of stakeholders, and more.

This DEIS for the VISION update marks an important milestone. In it, PSRC provides a detailed definition of regional growth alternatives through the year 2040. This definition allows the region to assess the magnitude of growth considered in all the alternatives, review the potential environmental effects of distributing growth in the region, evaluate mitigation efforts, and indicate a preference for an alternative.