ABSTRACT
Public administrators find themselves confronted with a host of public perceptions, including a general antipathy toward "bloated bureaucracy" the growing desire of the public to become more intimately involved in government decisions. The involvement of the public in decisions affecting their lives is not altogether new to the service. The service had to learn some of the processes of involving the public in order to purchase the lands, sometimes overcoming strong opposition in order to carry out public purposes. Thus, there was an understanding on the part of service officials that the public could and should have a voice in the activities of the organization. Among the elements of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process is the opportunity tor the general public to comment on the content of a draft EIS, after which each comment received, is analyzed and responded to in the preparation of a final EIS. The entire process calls for an opportunity for public hearings.
