174 



CHAPTER 1 

 NEED, PURPOSE, AND SCOPE 



The System Operation Review (SOR) is currently developing a System Operating 

 Strategy that will guide the physical operations of the Columbia River system. The SOR 

 is also addressing the institutional arrangements that must be in place to make needed 

 changes to the System Operating Strategy (SOS) in the future, or make interpretations of 

 the strategy in the light of changing water conditions or river needs. For convenience, 

 this future institutional arrangement is referred to as 'The Columbia River Regional 

 Forvim," or simply "the Forum," even though the nature of this institution is still to be 

 determined. 



1.1 INTRODUCTION 



The System Operation Review will address future decisionmaking about river system 

 operations in the following ways: (1) by providing a technical baseline so that future 

 evaluations of river operations will not have to start at the same level as did the SOR; (2) 

 by providing a mechanism for evaluating alternative operational strategies in a 

 reasonable time frame, and (3) by providing the public an opportvmity to participate in 

 both the analysis of alternatives and the decisionmaking process. The mechanism for 

 evaluating future operating strategies, and providing the public the opportvmity for 

 participation in analysis and decisionmaking will be "the Fonim." 



This appendix and the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) identify the 

 Forum as an administrative process that will not result in impacts to the environment 

 and will not require analysis in a NEPA context. Nevertheless, because of the 

 relationship to the other SOR actions, the SOR lead agencies have prepared this 



September 15, 1993 5 



