Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality
5 Mar 1970 and amended by EO 11990
Under this EO, the Federal Government must provide leadership in protecting and enhancing the quality of the nation’s environment to sustain and enrich human life. Federal agencies must initiate measures needed to direct their policies, plans and programs so as to meet national environmental goals.

America is blessed with an abundance of energy and natural resources that have historically powered our Nation's economic prosperity. In recent years, burdensome and ideologically motivated regulations have impeded the development of these resources, limited the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, reduced job creation, and inflicted high energy costs upon our citizens. These high energy costs devastate American consumers by driving up the cost of transportation, heating, utilities, farming, and manufacturing, while weakening our national security. It is thus in the national interest to unleash America's affordable and reliable energy and natural resources. This will restore American prosperity--including for those men and women who have been forgotten by our economy in recent years. It will also rebuild our Nation's economic and military security, which will deliver peace through strength.

The National Environmental Policy Act was one of the first laws ever written that establishes the broad national framework for protecting our environment. NEPA's basic policy is to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action that significantly affects the environment.

This joint memorandum from the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget directs departments and agencies to increase the appropriate and effective use of third-party assisted environmental collaboration as well as environmental conflict resolution to resolve problems and conflicts that arise in the context of environmental, public lands, or natural resources issues.

CEQ has issued numerous reports and publications, which are listed below. These documents include reports that CEQ is directed to prepare or prepares to report on information about NEPA implementation within the Federal government, such as CEQ's annual Report to Congress on Missed Deadlines. Publications are those materials that CEQ has prepared that are informational and highlight different NEPA initiatives or practices.

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), established by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in 1970, is within the Executive Office of the President (EOP). CEQ consults and coordinates with federal agencies, providing guidance on the implementation of NEPA to ensure timely environmental review and permitting processes across the Federal government. In addition, CEQ advises and assists the President on policies that promote the improvement of environmental quality, while supporting the economic prosperity and energy security of the American people.

CEQ provides guidance to Federal agencies to assist in implementation of NEPA. Below is a list of CEQ's most recent and active guidance.

This tool is meant to aid in finding categorical exclusions across federal agencies. The term "categorical exclusion" means a category of actions that a Federal agency has determined normally does not significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of section 4332(2)(C) of 42 USC. Sponsored by the Council on Environmental Quality.

For decades, a well-intentioned law known as the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has been weaponized to delay Federal permits and stall growth in the United States. President Trump took decisive action to fix America's broken permitting system in his day one Executive Order Unleashing American Energy. One year ago today, the major permitting agencies and departments (USDA, Commerce, DOI, DOE, FERC, DOT, and DOW including USACE) issued reforms to their NEPA procedures. These agencies and departments collectively account for the vast majority of NEPA litigation and have the most impact on the nation's energy and infrastructure agenda. Following those updates, USDA and DOI have finalized their respective policies and reforms, which are estimated to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.

e-NEPA is housed within the Central Data Exchange (CDX). Starting 1 October 2012 Federal agencies are required to use e-NEPA for submitting environmental impact statements (EISs).

The roster search and referral system is accessible to anyone contemplating the use of consensus building and dispute resolution services where environmental, natural resources, or public lands issues are involved.

A web-based mapping tool developed for Federal agencies to facilitate more efficient and effective environmental reviews and project planning. The tool is part of an initiative developed by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and it draws information from publicly available federal, state, and local datasets, allowing NEPA practitioners, stakeholders and the public to view information about environmental conditions within the area of a proposed project quickly and easily at early stages of project development.

This tool is meant to aid in finding categorical exclusions across federal agencies. The term "categorical exclusion" means a category of actions that a Federal agency has determined normally does not significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of section 4332(2)(C) of 42 USC. Sponsored by the Council on Environmental Quality.

The objective of this tool kit is to provide a user-friendly, web-based source of methods, strategies, and procedures for integrating land use and transportation planning, decision-making, and project implementation.

A Federal Highway Administration monthly newsletter highlighting current environmental streamlining practices from around the country.

Each agency of the Federal government is required to comply with the CEQ Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the Act, and, in consultation with CEQ, to develop their agency specific procedures to ensure that environmental information is available to the public and the agency decision makers before decisions are made and actions taken. This resource is a compendium of Federal agency NEPA procedures.

CEQ has issued numerous reports and publications, which are listed below. These documents include reports that CEQ is directed to prepare or prepares to report on information about NEPA implementation within the Federal government, such as CEQ's annual Report to Congress on Missed Deadlines. Publications are those materials that CEQ has prepared that are informational and highlight different NEPA initiatives or practices.

This tool is meant to aid in finding categorical exclusions across federal agencies. The term "categorical exclusion" means a category of actions that a Federal agency has determined normally does not significantly affect the quality of the human environment within the meaning of section 4332(2)(C) of 42 USC. Sponsored by the Council on Environmental Quality.

For USACE NEPA is a tool to help reduce their impact to environment. Additionally NEPA assists USACE to engage with stakeholders early and help formulate alternative solutions to reduce risk. The link below is a fact sheet we developed that answers commonly-asked questions with respect to NEPA.

The Council coordinates federal environmental efforts and works closely with agencies and other White House offices in the development of environmental policies and initiatives. Congress established CEQ within the Executive Office of the President as part of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Additional responsibilities were provided by the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970.

This network was formed when the U.S. EPA joined with several non-profit and government organizations in response to increasing community concerns about the need for new ways to grow that boost the economy, protect the environment, and enhance community vitality. The Network's partners include environmental groups, historic preservation organizations, professional organizations, developers, real estate interests, local and state government entities.

The Urban Waters Partnership reconnects urban communities, particularly those that are overburdened or economically distressed, with their waterways by improving coordination among federal agencies. The Partnership also collaborates with community-led revitalization efforts to improve our Nation's water systems and promote their economic, environmental and social benefits.

The newly available guide explains the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and how it is implemented, as well as how people outside the Federal government--individual citizens, private sector permit applicants, members of organized groups, and representatives of Tribal, State, or local governments--can better participate in the Federal environmental impact assessment process.

Developed by an inter-agency steering team, Eco-Logical encourages Federal, State, tribal, and local partners involved in infrastructure planning, design, review, and construction to use flexibility in regulatory processes. Specifically, Eco-Logical puts forth the conceptual groundwork for integrating plans across agency boundaries, and endorses ecosystem-based mitigation - an innovative method of mitigating infrastructure impacts that cannot be avoided.

This document will help GSA staff, contractors, and other GSA associates carry out the requirements of NEPA in accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508) and GSA Order ADM 1095.1F (Environmental Consideration in Decisionmaking).

The Center for Environmental Excellence promotes environmental stewardship and encourages innovative ways to achieve environmental excellence in the delivery of transportation programs, projects, and policies. Find handbooks, publications, research, and external resources to aid you in your day-to-day work.

A task force reviewed NEPA implementing practices and procedures in the following areas: technology and information management and security; federal and intergovernmental collaboration; programmatic analyses and subsequent tiered documents; and adaptive management and monitoring. In addition, the NEPA Task Force reviewed other NEPA implementation issues such as the level of detail included in agencies' procedures and documentation for promulgating categorical exclusions; the structure and documentation of environmental assessments; and implementation practices that would benefit other agencies.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton has signed a record of decision (ROD) that establishes guidelines for wind energy development and expedites approval of proposed projects in Western states. The programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for wind energy development establishes mitigation measures, best management practices, and other guidelines for wind energy development on Bureau of Land Management lands. The document, completed as a requirement of NEPA, will serve as the basis for environmental reviews of individual projects. By "tiering" off the programmatic EIS, individual projects would require less lengthy environmental assessments, and as a result, proposed wind projects could be approved in less than 1 yr, as opposed to 2 yr or longer.

You've been to training on the basics, the fundamentals, the essentials, the step-by-step. You've been to refreshers and updates. It's time to take the National Environmental Policy Act to the next level – Advanced NEPA. If you have any role in the NEPA process, you have a stake in the answers discussed in this seminar. You are encouraged to bring your own questions for discussion and resolution. This is a seminar format with significant time reserved for discussion rather than lecture. Handout materials are substantial and based on statutes, regulations, and case law rather than on opinion or past practice.

The ACHP offers online courses on Section 106 topics. Each course offers self-paced interactive presentations and downloadable reference documents. Courses of 30 minutes or more offer a certificate of completion and incorporate knowledge checks that let you apply your learning to case scenarios or quiz questions.

The NEPA Application Course (CIN: A-4A-0077) is offered by the Navy. It is presented in a 3-day seminar, provides participants with the legal requirements, Navy policy, procedures and techniques for implementing NEPA, and is the foundation for more advanced NEPA coursework. This course focuses on: selecting the proper document; levels of analysis; public involvement; review process; and impact analysis required under the law. Lectures, case studies and hands-on workshops involving Navy scenarios are part of this in-depth study of NEPA analysis process. The course focuses on documentation and sufficiency requirements for the Categorical Exclusion and Environmental Assessment. The course is taught by an experienced planning practitioner with additional legal support by the Department of the Navy, Office of the General Counsel. The target audience is: DoN, (Navy with Marine Corps and others as space permits) personnel who work with environmental issues in the following areas: Weapon systems acquisition programs; Shore facility operations and management; Real Estate & Facilities Planning; Operational exercises and training; Realignment and base closure actions; Construction Projects; and Range Management.

CEQ has assembled a list training providers, including Federal agencies, universities and other educational institutions, private companies that offer training on NEPA. CEQ provides this non-exhaustive list for reference, and the listing on this site does not does not constitute or imply CEQ's endorsement of or responsibility for the courses provided at those links endorse or recommend any of the programs or providers listed.

This is now the "new" NEPA. New regulations implementing NEPA were published in July 2020 and became effective in September 2020. Serious changes have been made to the NEPA practice whether we call these an update, streamlining, modernization, or clarification. This course will encompass all these changes. If you have attended this course before, it's time for your own update!