Chapter I - Introduction 



Audit Scope and '^^ audit was conducted in accordance with government auditing 



Methodology standards for performance audits. To complete our review, we started 



by collecting published documents related to the Wildlife EIS including 

 the draft report (April 1998), supplemental report (October 1998), and 

 pubUc opinion reports pubhshed by the department. We then reviewed 

 supplemental documentation maintained at the department's central 

 ofiBce. This provided us with basic information on the Wildlife EIS and 

 also background on the process followed by the department in 

 completing the EIS project. 



Information on appropriations and expenditures for the project was 

 collected from the Statewide Budgeting and Accounting System 

 (SBAS), from department records, and from Legislative Finance 

 Division (LFD) records. 



Information on the timeline and various activities performed by 

 department staff during the eight-year period needed to complete the 

 project came primarily from the official project files maintained at the 

 department's Bozeman regional office. To clarify information found in 

 the files, we interviewed department staff that worked on the project and 

 department officials responsible for monitoring and overseeing the 

 project. We also interviewed an official from the Legislative 

 Environmental Policy Office who served in an advisory role for the EIS 

 project, and a staff member of the Legislative Finance Division. 



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