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ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS AND CASE STUDIES: NEPA as a Tool for Strategic Analysis and Decision Making

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 February 2015

Shannon C. Stewart*
Affiliation:
Shannon C. Stewart, MS, Principal Technical Associate, Environmental Science Associates, Los Angeles, California.
*
Address correspondence to: Shannon C. Stewart, Suite 1100, 626 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90017; (phone) 213-599-4300; (fax) 213-599-4301; (e-mail) SStewart@esassoc.com.
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Abstract

Programmatic analyses under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are broadly scoped for assessing the environmental impacts of federal actions across a span of conditions, such as facilities, geographic regions, or multiproject programs. Programmatic NEPA analysis can be an excellent decision-making tool that facilitates proactive and strategic considerations of environmental and other important criteria ahead of the need for site-specific or project-level action. Employing a programmatic approach can lead to more informed decision making and to streamlined processes for individual actions. This article showcases examples of effective programmatic NEPA analysis and explores the use of programmatic NEPA analysis as a tool for strategic analysis and decision making.

Environmental Practice 16: 316–322 (2014)

Type
Features
Copyright
© National Association of Environmental Professionals 2014 

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