Public involvement is a crucial component of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). It provides the public with an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed action and potential environmental impacts. Public scoping is conducted in the early stages of EIS development to solicit comments from the public and agencies about potential issues that should be analyzed in the EIS. This could include resource areas that may be affected by the proposed action, impacts from past or ongoing projects, sufficiency of alternatives being considered, and study areas being evaluated.