DSPN Academy - NEPA

The NEPA planning sessions provided BLM employees with a lot of information on writing a NEPA document and covered some topics a NEPA practitioner might call “NEPA Adjacent” like the consultation processes for section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and section 7 of the Endangered Species Act.

Additional sessions that can help BLM employees streamline an EA or EIS were presented (Streamlined Appendices – What & Why, Effective Use of Tiering and Incorporation by Reference, NEPA Document Review Strategies). Shown below are a few sessions related to data acquisition for NEPA analyses (AIM Class, GIS for Planning and NEPA Projects, BLM Science in Practice Portal).

DSPN Academy – NEPA Videos

  1. Effective Use of Tiering and Incorporation by Reference ( 1:51:18)Description: How to most effectively tier or incorporate by reference an existing peer-reviewed scientific paper or NEPA or Planning document.
  2. NEPA Document Review Strategies (1:41:42)Description: How to set clear review priorities for NEPA documents, check for issue tracking and document consistency, check for document quality and readability.

  3. AIM Class (1:54:55)Description: How to acquire Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) data and how to incorporate that information into a NEPA or Planning document.

  4. Mitigation in Planning and NEPA Documents (2:00:40)Description: Overview of mitigation requirements in statute, regulation, and policy as it applies to BLM Planning and NEPA. Includes correct terminology, mitigation hierarchy, when mitigation is required, avoiding adverse court decisions, streamlining mitigation.

  5. NHPA & ESA Consultations for NEPA (2:22:25)Description: Overview of requirements and best management practices (BMPs) to effectively and efficiently conduct Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act consultation, and the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act consultation process.

  6. Writing Compelling Purpose and Need Sections (1:47:25)Description: Discuss the importance of a well framed Purpose and Need sections, how to avoid potential traps when defining the Need, and how to clearly articulate the “Why here and why now?” question that drives this part of the NEPA document.

  7. Socioeconomics for NEPA and Planning (1:45:41)Description: Information on the socioeconomics program, processes to engage with the zoned socio-economists, best timeframe to engage the socio-economists (to meet streamline deadlines), etc.

  • Powerpoint: DSPN Socioeconomics and NEPA Extended
  8. GIS For Planning and NEPA Projects (2:16:16)Description: Role of GIS in the BLM’s planning and NEPA processes, and the role of GIS in making well-informed, durable decisions. Discuss what the field needs from the GIS program for support. Identify any new tools or programs that would assist an IDT in writing their NEPA/Planning documents quickly and efficiently.

  9. Streamlined Appendices – What and Why? (1:54:55)Description: This course provides guidance on what information is directed to be in the appendix of your NEPA analysis documents, what is not to go in your appendices, and where you have flexibility to use professional judgement. We review and discuss the requirements and guidance from regulations and policy on NEPA analysis document contents, appendix contents, and discuss alternative methods for making other information available when not appropriate for either of these locations.

  10. BLM Science in Practice Portal (1:40:28)Description: What is and how to use the BLM’s Science in Practice in Portal; discuss other sources of new data and scientific papers to use during the analysis phase of the NEPA and Planning processes.

  11. Implementing EO 13807 (1:58:17)Description: How to implement Executive Order 13807, Establishing Discipline and Accountability in the Environmental Review and Permitting Process for Infrastructure Projects (2017).

  • Powerpoint: Implementing EO 13807
  12. WO Overview of Executive Orders and Secretarial Orders (1:26:13)Description: How to interpret and implement recent Executive and Secretarial Orders that pertain to planning and NEPA streamlining.

  • Powerpoint: SO and EO Summary DSPN PowerPoint Session

Other DSPN Academy Pages

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact David Korzilius.