Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
4333 BROOKLYN AVE NE
SEATTLE,WA 98195
Performing Department
Social Sciences
Non Technical Summary
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is our basic national charter for protection of the environment. It establishes policy, sets goals, and provides means for carrying out the policy. NEPA procedures must ensure that environmental information is available to public officials and citizens before decisions are made and before actions are taken. This project is aimed at understanding ways to improve the outcome of these processes. The UW will participate in research that leads toward an increased understanding of NEPAs decision rationale and enhance communication methods surrounding natural resource management as reflected in NEPA processes. In addition, this project will identify a set of "best business practices" associated with the NEPA decision making processes. Dramatic changes in demographics and population growth, the structure of international markets, technology trends, and processes of new governance and public decision-making shape the contemporary reality in which public resource management agencies such as the United States Forest Service (USFS) must operate. Over the past couple of decades environmental documents have become very voluminous collections of data aimed largely at trying to withstand legal challenges. In many cases these documents are not clearly written, are poorly organized, and are presented in a format that is difficult to follow and have become incomprehensive to not only the general public but have not aided in decision making (AASHTO 2006). Additionally, Page (2006) identifies at least three distinct audiences for environmental documents. Each of these audiences has a different set of expectations and need for detail associated with the environmental document. Understanding effective ways to communicate NEPA decisions may lead to quicker implementation of decisions, fewer conflicts and challenges to agency decisions, and ultimately improved management of public lands and natural resources.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Over the past couple of decades environmental documents have become very voluminous collections of data aimed largely at trying to withstand legal challenges. In many cases these documents are not clearly written, are poorly organized, and are presented in a format that is difficult to follow and have become incomprehensive to not only the general public but have not aided in decision making. The goal of the project is to understand effective ways to communicate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) decisions, which may lead to quicker implementation of decisions, fewer conflicts and challenges to agency decisions, and ultimately improved management of public lands and natural resources. OUTPUTS: 1. A comprehensive research report. The report should include policy and practice recommendations for improving future NEPA decision processes. 2. At least one paper suitable for publication in a refereed journal or as a General Technical Report. 3. An annotated bibliography capturing the results of the literature review. 4. A technical guide that includes a suite of "best practices," paired with recommendations for facilitating implementation of those practices, as well as recommendations for overcoming potential barriers to implementation. 5. A set of recommendations for adjustment to Forest Service training processes based on the findings of the study. 6. Attend a workshop with other principal investigators of the NEPA for the 21st Century project and agency managers who have accumulated knowledge about NEPA processes and organizational structures for evaluating environmental impacts and making environmental decisions.
Project Methods
1. Develop a detailed study plan that will: a. identify and analyze state-of-the-art experiences and practices regarding the development of effective NEPA documents at the USFS; and b. package and communicate that knowledge in ways that are useful to managers and scientists. 2. Participate in up to three two hour conference calls with other cooperators involved in the NEPA for the 21st Century project. 3. Share information and interact in a collaborative way with other cooperators in the NEPA for the 21st Century project. 4. Provide periodic updates to the Agencys Project Administrator and the Forest Services Ecosystem Management Coordination and Litigation staffs in the Washington Office. 5. Document the results of the study in a comprehensive research report. 6. Attend a workshop with other principal investigators of the NEPA for the 21st Century project and agency managers who have accumulated knowledge about NEPA processes and organizational structures for evaluating environmental impacts and making environmental decisions.