Participants: Kirk Emerson, Mike Eng (convener), Michael Fies, Carly Jerla, Chandler Peter, and Diane Tate
- The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) will soon be issuing, “Collaboration in NEPA Handbook.” It will include advice and guidance for lead agencies wishing to utilize voluntary collaborative tools and approaches in how it conducts NEPA processes.
- Key questions for lead agency: With what entities do you wish to collaborate? To what extent do you wish to collaborate with these entities? At what steps in the NEPA process do you wish to collaborate with these entities?
- USIECR has a role in promoting NEPA collaboration, in conducting outreach on NEPA Collaboration Handbook and in delivering NEPA collaboration training. USIECR will use these opportunities to encourage agencies to consider integrating CADRe into collaborative NEPA processes.
- CADRe would be an appropriate tool to consider utilizing when conducting collaborative NEPA processes
- Collaborative modeling steps (Problem Statement, Evaluation Metrics, Alternatives, Evaluation, Solution) are quite similar to NEPA steps and could be lined up nicely if pursing a integrated CADRe/NEPA process
- Opportunities and obstacles to using CADRe with NEPA processes for Sec. 404 Permits:
- Need to ensure that required regulatory criteria are translated into clear performance measures for analyzing NEPA alternatives
- Include CADRe capabilities in RFPs for NEPA contractors
- How can CADRe be used to speed up NEPA processes that need to be implemented as quickly as possible?
- Other challenges to using collaborative approaches to NEPA using CADRe:
- Internal organizational resistance to collaboration
- Difficulties in engaging other agencies to collaborate in the NEPA process
- Leadership must be supportive of collaborative approach to NEPA and use of CADRe
- Situation assessments (conducted by third party neutrals if appropriate) are helpful in evaluating the feasibility of collaboration and the interest of other agencies in participating
Revised 21 Jan 2009
© 2009 Institute for Water Resources
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