Understanding the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the West Side Snowy Range Travel Management Project

NEPA is a law that was established in Jan. 1, 1970 to “establish national environmental policy and goals for the protection, maintenance, and enhancement of the environment and provides a process for implementing these goals within the federal agencies,” according to epa.gov.

According to NEPA Section 102, this law takes effect “for ... major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.”

The Snowy Range Travel Management Project is currently completing steps that are outlined under the NEPA.

First, they had to complete a scoping process, to receive public input regarding the purpose and need of the proposal. This was published on Dec.12, 2013 and comments were found “most useful” if submitted before Jan. 31, 2014.

Most recently the Notice of Proposed Action was published, initiating the 30-day comment period. This is the current stage the Forest Service is at with the West Side Snowy Range Travel Management Project.

After this, there should be an environmental assessment published; which, will include a range of alternatives that are formed from the comments that are received from the Notice of Proposed Action. According to the West Side Snowy Range’s Notice of Proposed Action, the Forest Service “expects to analyze and document the effects of the proposed action and alternatives in an Environmental Assessment in the spring of 2015.”

 

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