Preparing Programmatic NEPA Reviews

Description

Participants learn what NEPA program documents are, the different types of program documents, how they can be effectively used, and how project-level NEPA documents can be effectively tiered to Programmatic NEPA reviews to reduce analysis requirements at the project level. Students will learn how to best determine what type of program document is most appropriate in different situations and the scope of environmental analysis that is most appropriate.

Objectives

Upon completion of this workshop, participants will be able to understand the following:

  • Know what type of NEPA program document(s) may best apply to their situation and needs.

  • Know how to properly tier project level documents to program documents.

  • Know the appropriate content and scope for a program document and how to best limit the scope of tiered project-level environmental analysis.

Content

The basic format of the workshop includes the following components:

  • Defining basic concepts and terminology for Programmatic NEPA documents.

  • Clarify the roles of NEPA program documents versus project level NEPA documents.

  • How to formulate an appropriate purpose and need for a program-level NEPA document.

  • Proper scope of alternatives and alternative comparisons for Programmatic NEPA reviews

  • Appropriate level of technical analysis for Programmatic NEPA reviews, including cumulative effects and geographical and temporal bounding.

  • Decision-making at the program level and relationships with project-level tiered documents.

Audience

Participants for this training include NEPA coordinators, Federal program and project managers, technical specialists (subject matter experts), interdisciplinary team (IDT) leaders, decision-makers, and reviewers of NEPA documents.

Process

This workshop is interactive and is intended to explore specific problems and questions faced by practitioners in development and use of NEPA program documents.  Case studies and court cases are presented that require thinking on the part of workshop participants.  An elementary understanding of NEPA is required.  This one-day workshop consists of a carefully designed combination of the following components:

·       60% Lecture

·       10% Group discussion

·       30% Exercises

Materials

Participants receive the following:

  • Comprehensive workshop manual

  • Case Study Exercises